The Virtue of Revenge
by Loyal as a Book
Summary: The freaks can never be normal, the broken can never be whole, and the dead can never live again. That is the law of nature. Instead, a rejected meta-human, a freakish half-demon, a broken amputee, an exiled alien princess, and an angry dead Robin all follow one rule. Revenge is the law of the Outlaws. (Formerly: The Gray Throne)
1. I am a Work in Progress

Hi there! This is my first go at writing a story with multiple chapters and I enjoyed the idea that's been floating around in my head so much that I decided to share it with others. I'm not as knowledgeable as other people about the DC Universe so if you notice something is just far too out of character let me know what's wrong so I can change it (and preferably how - with episode or comic book references for me to look up).

Disclaimer: All DC characters belong to DC, everything else is my brain child.

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Iowa

September 17, 2:26 UTC

Roy Harper could admit he had a problem.

Of course, the word "problem" might be little too kind. A problem is forgetting your homework on your desk the day it's due. A problem is being unable to find the TV remote. What he had was something bigger. Something he can't help but watch spiral out of his control and do nothing about it. Perhaps "addiction" would be better? Yes.

Roy Harper could admit he had an addiction.

He wasn't addicted to sex, drugs or alcohol (although he didn't mind an odd beer or two. Hey! Technically he should be 23!). However, like every other addiction possible, it led to self-destructive behavior and the alienation of friends (did he ever really have any to begin with?). Those so called friends couldn't understand his addiction.

Roy Harper was addicted to making Lex Luthor's life miserable.

Hey! It was completely justified! The guy goes and kidnaps him, chops off his arm to grow a new Roy Harper, then shoves him in a cyro-containment pod for eight years with not even a "sorry kid"? Then he has to wake up and realize that for the past eight years the clone Roy had been living _his_ life, making _his_ friends, and doing _his_ job the entire time? So maybe he had some serious anger issues … but hey! Anyone else would too!

However, his addiction led him right to his current predicament: hiding in the ductwork of one of Lexcorp's rural warehouses outside Des Moines while Luthor's security team combed the entire area searching for him. Normally he would take out the men without a hitch but the battery on his cybernetic arm had reached dangerously low on the power scale. Arsenal wasn't one to let a freebie pass him bye so he had been using the cybernetic arm Luthor gave him as compensation last year. Lately the battery was having some issues with longevity and was putting his self-imposed mission of destroying Luthor in jeopardy.

One of the larger, blurrier security guards paused under the grate right next to where Arsenal was hiding. "Let's do one more perimeter sweep. Don't let anything go unturned. I want to bring this bastard to Mr. Luthor dead or alive!" The security guards moved a little more frantically, one of them pointed a flashlight at the ceiling. Arsenal leaned back away from the holes in the grate and held his breath as the inside of the duct lit up. He dared not to move even as the light moved on to other parts of the ceiling. His legs cramped from the tight space and his stomach clenched nervously as the men gathered right underneath his hiding spot.

"We're going to expand our perimeter," the same large blurry man spoke. Like the other guards he wore a cheap suit and tie over top of a bullet-proof vest. His bald head was slick with sweat from the humidity or stress and he kept dabbing at his head with a handkerchief. "I want teams one and two doing a sweep of the surrounding roads. Look for anything out of the ordinary and out of state license plates. Team three; I need you to go over the footage from tonight. The technical team should have the systems up and running again. At some point this asshole has to make a mistake. I need to prepare what to tell Mr. Luthor."

With the group dismissed, eight men split up and piled into four dark green jeeps. Another four men and the head of security walked out of the garage back into the main building. Arsenal relaxed. Although not as good with computers as any of the Bat-kids, Roy could program one mean virus. He still had some time to get out and call his getaway ride. He was feeling good … right until that skull materialized out of the darkness to his left!

Roy rapped his head against the metal duct as he jumped in shock from the sight. Luckily, some of the jeeps had just started up and drowned out the noise. The skull paused and what looked like a finger rested right where the mouth should have been in the universal sign for "shhh." Blinking to adjust his eyes, Roy realized that there was indeed a body attached to the floating skull. One that was covered entirely in black material that left no skin visible. At this point he also noticed the red mark on the forehead of the skull. It looked almost like …..

The figure gestured impatiently for Arsenal to follow. He shrugged, having no better option, and followed behind the man. He was incredibly quiet as they shuffled through the ductwork. Arsenal tried his best to imitate the man's stealth but was nowhere near as silent and cringed whenever his foot hit an especially creaky spot. Finally, the figure stopped and motioned for Arsenal to wait. He held up a small can and sprayed the air before him. A crisscross of motion sensing beams lit up before him. Arsenal cringed; he forgot to shut those off when he hacked the system. Robin or Nightwing would have remembered.

The man slipped a small mirror out of his utility belt and carefully slid it in the path of one of the beams. The trajectory of several of the beams changed and by adding another mirror the man created an opening large enough for a slim man to slip through. Arsenal smirked; he was definitely impressed so far. He followed the man through the motion sensors and a grate onto the roof. By the time Arsenal had analyzed the situation and cleared the roof of anyone else, the dark figure had slunk to the edge of the roof towards the back of the warehouse. A short black and grey cape was hiding whatever he was fiddling with from Arsenal's view. The redhead bent down and shuffled after the man, carefully not to scruff his shoes on the cement. He knelt down next to the man and tried not to fumble with the grappling gun that was tossed to him. He gave the man a _what the hell am I supposed to use this for all the way out in the middle of nowhere_ look but it probably closely resembled _huh?_

The masked man gestured to the nearest oak tree. He examined the ground and took several steps back before making an impressive leap right into the dense coverage of the oak tree before a guard turned around the corner of the building. Arsenal eyed the space where the man disappeared and tried not to startle when the skull loomed out of the darkness behind the leaves. He had picked this night for his mission because the cloud coverage would hide his movements. Now it was becoming a pain in the ass to keep track of the silent ninja. This guy was most definitely ninja-like.

Arsenal eyed the distance from the edge of the roof to the tree and realized that he just couldn't make the leap. Apparently the man realized the same thing before it had even crossed Arsenal's mind and that's why he tossed Arsenal the grappling gun. A little bit ticked off that he was so easily judged by someone he had met only five minutes before, Arsenal watched the guard turn the corner before aiming and shooting the grappling line at one of the high branches. Surprised at the near silence of the gun, he jumped off the roof and pressed down on the button at the back of the gun to rewind the line. He was pulled up into the dense coverage before the next guard turned the corner.

A silent swear escaped his lips. The tree was empty. Arsenal had the joy of trying to find the masked man without rustling the leaves while simultaneously not fall out of the tree. He caught something out of the corner of his eye. A red sticker in the shape of an arrow was stuck to the tree trunk and pointed to the next tree away from the warehouse. Arsenal shook his head, somewhat amused. He ripped off the sticker and shoved it in his utility belt along with the grappling gun. There was no need to leave behind anymore evidence.

Arsenal followed the trail of red stickers to a beaten down dirt road that was probably used by loggers. An old brown station wagon was parked in the middle of the road with a small red X taped on to the driver's door. A metallic _ching_ was the only warning he had before something small collided with his forehead. He cursed and scrambled to catch the item in his hands, revealing it to be a basic key chain with two keys.

"What the hell man?" Arsenal squinted to spot the man. He was relaxed on a thick tree branch, everything but the outline of his body was hidden in the shadows. "Look … I'm grateful for your help and all, but who are you?"

The figure made no reply.

Arsenal crossed his arms and shifted his weight to show a more relaxed stance. He needed to approach this cautiously as his knowledge about this man was slim to none. "All I'm asking for is a name, something I can call you by. I don't want any trouble here since I can tell that you're damn good and you've probably noticed that I'm not at one hundred percent."

A soft chuckle rang out across the clearing. There was a slight metallic note to the sound and Arsenal realized that it was a voice modifier. "A name is meaningless, kid," the man had an amused undertone, "you won't find anything about me even in the Justice League's system. After all, the best thieves are the ones you never hear of."

Arsenal shrugged, "makes sense I guess. So you're a thief? I can deal with that. I suppose you won't tell me why you were at this particular Lexcorp building?"

The smirk in his voice grew, "You are correct. I noticed that someone was making it easier for me and I thought I would give him a hand. A little advice though: sometimes a silent, slow attack can be more effective in the long term then barging in guns blazing."

Arsenal snorted in reply. Like hell he'd tone it down.

The figure in the trees shrugged. "Whatever, like I have a right to tell anyone what to do. I suggest wiping down the car when you're done with it."

"You stole it."

"I prefer … borrowed without permission. That is a new license plate though."

Arsenal turned over the keys in his hand. One had a Ford logo on it, indicating that it was for the car. The other was discrete with just the numbers 671190 stamped on it. "What's this other one for?"

"I noticed that you are having problems with your arm; that battery is not built to last forever. My … benefactor … has access to the best technology on the planet and unlimited resources. She may be willing to get you a new arm, but it's conditional," the man's head tilted, "I don't think you are ready to meet those conditions."

Arsenal narrowed his eyes, "What? Join the dark side? I'd rather go back to the Justice League."

"The thing with toeing the line, Roy Harper, is that you can join whichever side benefits you most. Normally, my benefactor and I would be happy leaving things as they are. But something big is coming, the Light is not finished yet and their plans will get in the way of what I want. My benefactor agrees with me that it needs to be permanently stopped."

"How do you know my name?" Arsenal growled. There was no need to deny his identity; the man spoke his name with absolute confidence.

"I tell you that the world is in danger and all you are annoyed about is that I know your name?"

Arsenal scowl turned dangerously close to a pout. "Fine. So what do you want me to do about it? I'm not with the Justice League."

"Exactly!" the man shifted to lean down towards Arsenal, "the Justice League can't be seen doing the dirty work so they won't do what needs to be done. The world is not black and white; there is a whole lot of gray which is where you and I stand. I'm offering you an opportunity to team up with some … like-minded individuals under the funding of my benefactor. This was her idea by the way. I have two positions filled already and you would have access to unlimited technology to develop a new and better arm."

The offer was ridiculous! He rejected the Junior Justice League because he didn't want to work with other people. People who didn't understand him and kept comparing him to ….

"You're never going to surpass your clone like this. All they will see is an angry Roy Harper who just can't let go of what happened to him. Face it kid, they're always going to prefer the clone."

"What do you know about that?!" Arsenal voice rose to a dangerously high tone.

The man's voice softened in his reply, "I know that you feel replaced. I know that you wonder if you ever truly mattered to him."

Arsenal opened his mouth to respond but paused. This man was right. Realizing that his mouth was still hanging open, he closed it and gritted his teeth, trying to regain some dignity. "How did you …."

The skull leered at him from the tree, "you think that you're the only one who has been replaced?"

Arsenal stared intently at the man in the tree, his mind working in overdrive. This man was obviously not on the Justice League, nor even on the same side. If he joined up with this man to get insider intel on this man and his mysterious benefactor, he might just uncover an operation the League was unaware of. He could pass information off to Batman and regain the trust of Oliver and the other Leaguers. Maybe he'd even gain the respect of the Junior League. This could be his ticket to getting respect from the League.

He discarded that thought very quickly. Roy was given the opportunity to return after he helped during the Invasion but chose not to. What held him back at the time was remembering how lonely he felt the last time he was part of that group. No one there truly understood him, nor did they really try to understand him. If he was honest with himself, he didn't belong among the heroes anymore. His thoughts had become progressively darker.

But this man had figured him out after a half hour. He had seen what his clone, Nightwing, Black Canary, and his own father figure had been unable to recognize. This was someone like him: an outsider. He was someone who wouldn't care if he did some … _unheroic_ things to finish the mission. If they were truly alike, this man was probably as alone as he was. Perhaps it was time to try something new?

Arsenal's smirk could almost be mistaken for a smile, "So … what are these conditions you were talking about?" Misery did love company.

He could almost feel the other man smile.

* * *

Iowa

September 19, 15:43 UTC

Jackson Smith was not a man who could be easily intimidated, he'd been in the security business far too long to even feel apprehensive when facing the super-powered crazies in capes and tights. He had joined the Marines just out of high school and was honorably discharged after ten years of service and three tours in Iraq. His PTSD had developed a severe case of paranoia which – when managed – had made him into one of the best security guards available in the United States. Jackson was meticulous in his job and had a real attention to detail that got him noticed by the higher ups at Lexcorp who promoted him to Head of Security at the Lexcorp chemical production plant in Iowa. It was because of his position at this particular plant that he was currently facing the quiet fury of Lexcorp's CEO.

Lex Luthor was the most terrifying person he had ever met.

He trailed after Mr. Luthor behind the man's assistant Mercy and the Director of the facility Dr. Andrew Wang.

"I can assure you Mr. Luthor that we will have the facility working at maximum capacity again within two weeks. The boy's interference has only slightly delayed the next shipment of high-potency pesticides," Dr. Wang was wringing his hands and adjusting his glasses constantly under the pressure of Mr. Luthor's disproval.

"I certainly hope so Dr. Wang," Mr. Luthor continued walking purposefully to the supply closet between the security office and the men's washroom. "However, that is not my main concern right now. Mr. Smith, did the intruder ever reach this part of the building?"

Jackson straightened his back, although Mr. Luthor could not see it, "I spoke extensively with my men and built a timeline of the boy's movements from his first known appearance until his last. He was active in Sectors 1, 2, 5, and 7 and I don't believe that he was ever in this sector of the facility."

Mr. Luthor opened the door of the supply closet and moved to the back. Setting aside several bottles of moping solutions, he slid a section of the wall up to reveal a glowing blue screen. He placed his right hand over the screen and the dark room lit up with a traveling blue light. He stepped away from the wall as it slid open to reveal an elevator. Jackson joined the other three people in the elevator as it began to descend.

"Was he alone?"

"My men did not spot any other intruder within the facility or the immediate area. However, the boy was quite proficient with disabling our cameras."

Mr. Luthor hummed, "yes, that is why I am concerned. Green Arrow's former protégé is indeed talented, but he never showed a particular gift in hacking. I am concerned that Sector 4's video feed and motion sensors went offline as well although the boy never made it this far. Furthermore, the motion sensors in all sectors remained online during his little escapade except for Sector 4 where he never went and Sector 5 where he was last seen."

The pieces began falling into place, "You suspect there was someone else; a partner or an opportunist?" Jackson asked.

Mr. Luthor finally turned to look at Jackson, "most likely an opportunist. The boy is anything but a team player and he was making enough noise to draw attention away from what really matters."

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open to reveal a small room that was dwarfed by the enormous metal vault door on the opposite wall. Mr. Luthor strode up to the display on the wall beside the door. The scanner read his handprint, eye, weight, height and voice before granting access. As the numerous locks in the vault door slid into place to open the door, Jackson voiced his thoughts. "Mr. Luthor, this is one of the most heavily secured vaults in the United States. What kind of thief could get in and get out without attracting any attention? Let alone reaching this vault without tripping any alarms to alert my men?"

A loud clacking noise indicated that the door was unlocked. It slowly swung open to reveal … an empty display case.

"To answer your question Mr. Smith," Mr. Luthor's voice was ice cold with fury, "a very good one."

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Let me know what you think by leaving a review. Seriously, I'd love to have some grammar or spelling mistakes pointed out (in a constructive way please!) so I can fix them.

Cheers!


	2. And the Raven, Never Flitting

Thanks to Kiliri for the lovely review, those who are following this story, and all the silent readers (I was once one of you!). I went to see Man of Steel and I was so inspired that I decided to post this chapter early.

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"_But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,__  
__That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.__  
__Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -__  
__Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -__  
__On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'__  
__Then the bird said, `Nevermore.' "_

Edgar Allan Poe, _**The Raven**_

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**Chapter Two: And the Raven, Never Flitting, Still is Sitting**

Gotham City

September 24, 17:35 EDT

It had been about two months since Nightwing was last working in the bat cave and two weeks since Dick Grayson was last at home. His leave of absence from the Team had also required an extended break from the gloom of his former-mentor's base of operations. He had continued with his vigilante actions in Blüdhaven with renewed enthusiasm as his attention was no longer split between Blüdhaven and leading the Team. Of course, the vacation to Hawaii that Bruce had paid for was certainly helpful in recharging his batteries. After two weeks of being waited on hand and foot at a five-star resort, Dick Grayson felt spoiled rotten. He also felt it was necessary to show off his amazing tan to three of the palest people he had ever met: his adopted father Bruce Wayne, his father's butler Alfred Pennyworth, and his youngest adopted brother Tim Drake (who was not actually adopted but he was part of the family anyways!). Showing off his tan was precisely the reason why he was lugging a suitcase up the steps to Wayne Manor. The fact that he missed them just a little bit had nothing to do with it.

Alfred opened the front door just as Dick reached the front step. "Good evening Master Richard. I do hope you had an enjoyable trip."

"Hey Alfred," Dick grinned brightly and rolled his suitcase in the entrance hall, "Hawaii was fantastic! Is it too late for something to eat? I'm starving!"

Alfred, used to the young man's easily distracted mind, merely nodded his head. "Of course sir. Shall I take your bag to your room and then whip something up in the kitchen?"

Dick waved him off, "Nah, I can bring it up myself since it's kind of heavy. I have a jar or two of sand in here. Got any tomato basil turkey? I'd love it on a sandwich."

"Very well sir; I do hope that you will tell me all about your vacation when you are finished upstairs."

"Sure! I'll grab Bruce and Tim, any ideas where they are?"

"No doubt the same place you left them two weeks ago."

Dick sighed, he should have expected that. "Right, see you in a bit Alfred."

Dick heaved his suitcase up the stairs to his room. He wasn't lying when he said he had bottles of sand in his bag. He had been collecting sand and dirt from every country in the world ever since he was little. His parents, John and Mary Grayson, had begun the tradition while they were travelling with Haly's Circus and Dick wanted to continue the tradition. To make him more comfortable when he first started living at Wayne Manor, Bruce and Alfred also began collecting small bottles of sand. In his bag were five bottles, one each for Bruce, Alfred, Tim, and himself. The fifth was for someone that was no longer around.

After depositing his suitcase on his bedroom floor, Dick wandered down to Bruce's study, opened the secret entrance to the bat cave behind the grandfather clock, and descended into the cave. Not much had changed since his first year as Robin. Minor changes like the growing souvenir collection and the entirely new addition of the bat-plane were noticeable but never caught his eye every time he walked into the cave. Instead, the glass display case that was elevated to the left of the computer station caught his eye every time he entered the cave. The empty Robin suit stared back at him.

Turning away from the case, Dick headed towards the two people at the computer station. Bruce was dressed as Batman but his cowl was pulled back as he analyzed the information on the screen. Tim was standing behind his chair, still in civilian clothes and reading over Bruce's shoulder.

"You know, after two weeks I expected a warmer welcome," Dick smirked as Tim jumped at his voice.

"Dick! You're back!"

He laughed and ruffled Tim's hair, trying to ignore the memory of another boy who would retaliate with an elbow to the gut if his hair was touched. Bruce nodded in a greeting, "Hey Bruce, been busy lately?"

"Gotham's been quiet. Have a good trip?"

"You bet! Come on upstairs before patrol, I have presents!"

Bruce turned back to the computer. "I will be up as soon as I can."

Dick rolled his eyes; the man had become more obsessed than he used to be. He glanced again at the report on the screen. "What's this?"

"There was a recent theft at Queen's Incorporated Chemical Science Division. Three vials of Xenothium were stolen from a level 4 secured vault," Tim was the one to reply. "There are no witnesses, no fingerprints, no hairs, and no video or camera footage. It's like the vials just disappeared."

"We know that's not possible Tim."

"Oliver let you check the scene yourself. You even admitted that there was no evidence they had even been stolen!"

Dick's mouth dropped open, "has someone actually committed a crime that the Batman can't solve?"

Bruce's frown deepened.

Tim elaborated, "This isn't the first theft of Xenothium. The thief or thieves have hit two research labs in Germany, one in China, and three in the United States. They only stole Xenothium and left no evidence of the crime other than the missing chemicals."

Dick narrowed his eyes as he examined the information on the screen, "What would someone want with all that Xenothium? The chemical is too unstable to use safely in just about any capacity. That's why it's only used in research."

"If I can figure that out," Bruce growled, "the question of 'who' will be easier to solve."

Dick glanced at his adopted father. In the past two years the man looks to have aged ten. His eyes, although stubbornly determined, had lost what little light there was in them. He constantly had dark circles under his eyes and permanent frown lines were starting to form at the corners of his mouth. The man just looked tired.

"Okay! Enough with work, time to get your presents and marvel at my amazing tan! So, get your pasty rear ends upstairs to the kitchen!"

Amusement glinted at the corner of Bruce's eyes, "Pasty? You mean less likely to get skin cancer?"

"Hey! No bringing down my high! I'll see you both in ten minutes or you don't get your present."

"What?!" Tim's voice cracked embarrassingly and his ears turned a vibrant red. Dick's laugh was eerily reminiscent of his laugh as Robin as he bounded up the stairs, taking two at a time.

Dick headed back up to his room to pull out the gifts for his family. He'd unpack tomorrow … maybe. He placed everything in a cloth bag and then lay down on the floor to reach under his bed. Shoving aside a stray textbook and a pair of raunchy smelling socks, he stretched to grab the small key that was hidden under them. Bouncing to his feet, Dick swung the cloth bag off his bed and wandered down the hall.

He paused just before the closed door down the hall from his room. The room was closest to Bruce's own room, closer than his old room or Tim's crash pad. Perhaps because the former occupant was the closest thing Bruce ever had to a son.

Dick unlocked the door with the key he had fished out from under his bed. The musty smell of an untouched room hit his nose and Dick couldn't hold back the sneeze. He didn't bother to turn on the light; all he would see was a room stuck in time, unable to move forward without its occupant. The bed was unmade; an unfinished mystery novel was on the nightstand next to a small stuffed robin toy; a Gibson guitar rested on its stand under the window, sheet music carelessly stacked next to it. Dick pulled out the small bottle of sand and placed it on the desk near the door, right next to the bottle of sand he brought back from Costa Rica and the unfinished math homework lying open on the desk.

He rested his hand on the door knob and stared into the dark room one last time before closing the door and locking it again, as if he had never been there. Dick rested his hand on the door for a moment and pulled away.

"Miss you Jason."

* * *

Prague, Czech Republic

September 24, 21:04 CEST

She had been watching them from the shadows as they fought a man in a large refrigeration suit who they called Mr. Freeze. The man had been making a great deal of noise for several days in Prague and had disrupted her meditation. Preferring not to involve herself in trivial matters, she moved from her apartment in the center of Prague to a small bed and breakfast in the suburbs where she could continue her mediation in peace and quiet. However, the arrival of the Justice League's child team pushed Mr. Freeze right into the suburb she had escaped to. The streets and cars were covered in ice and a hovering snow machine was casing the area in a fresh blanket of snow. Annoyed, she had ventured towards the fighting.

A dark haired boy with Superman's symbol was attempting to punch a hole in Mr. Freeze's suit. A green skinned girl with red hair floated around the snow machine, occasionally phasing through it. She was probably trying to find an off switch since, you know, every villain puts a labeled off switch on their machinery. Strangely enough, a polar bear was taking a swipe at an off-balance Mr. Freeze who caught the carnivore in the stomach with an ice blast from his gun. It wasn't really the fact that there was a polar bear in Prague that was so strange; it was the fact that it was green that really made her question the sanity of these children.

The polar bear hit the wall of an apartment building and slid down to the ground. Then it morphed into an unconscious green boy with a monkey tail. Definitely the most bizarre people she had ever seen.

"Beast Boy!" the green girl screamed before abandoning her ineffective attack on the snow machine. She floated down next to the green boy and helped him sit up. Perhaps they were related?

"Miss Martian! I need some back up over here!" The dark haired boy yelled. It appeared the taking ice blasts from Mr. Freeze and the snow machine were proving too much for the Kryptonian.

The green girl, Miss Martian, pulled away from the unconscious Beast Boy and flew straight at Mr. Freeze. Right away, their spectator saw the flaw as she left her left side open to an ice blast from the hovering snow machine. The girl's head violently smacked against the ice covered road and she went still. Recognizing that if these children were unable to defeat Mr. Freeze, her peace would be ruined, the spectator stepped in to the fight.

The snow crunched beneath her boots as she stepped into the middle of the street, her purple cloak swishing over the layer of snow. Focusing her energy on the snow machine, she lifted her hand and released the energy that had been gathering in her body. Dark blades sliced through the machine and she watched emotionlessly as the pieces crashed to the ground. The fighting between Mr. Freeze and the Kryptonian stopped and the both stared rather stupidly at her. Mr. Freeze recovered first, pulling away from the boy to shoot an ice blast at her.

The girl sighed, rather bored with this one trick pony. Raising a telekinetic shield, she directed the blast away from her body toward a post box on the sidewalk. Behind her shield she floated in her most comfortable meditation pose: the lotus position, with her legs crossed and her hands facing up. She released her soul-self and a dark bird-shaped force flew through Mr. Freeze's body. She felt the uninhabitable cold of his emotions and his overpowering heartache, this was a broken man. Rather than take his emotions, she simply overpowered them so much that he was unable to remain conscious from the clash of emotions she created. As the man passed out and fell backwards, her soul-self returned to her body. She lowered the shield in front of her and placed her feet back on the ground.

She was honestly unimpressed. They were having so much trouble with this man?

The Kryptonian eyed her warily from his position next to Miss Martian. Both of the green skinned children were still unconscious. Although the boy looked comfortable holding the girl, he appeared unsure as what to do with her while unconscious. The boy was obviously lost as to what to do for medical care. She slid her hands through the opening in her purple cloak and raised them palms facing forward in the universal pacifying gesture to show that she was weaponless.

Not that she actually needed a weapon to toss him through the nearest building.

"My name is Raven. Your friends need medical attention and I can help." The boy narrowed his eyes as she spoke. Raven tried not to wince; her raspy voice often got her distrustful looks. She sighed in annoyance of how much time this was taking out of her day, this was so not how she wanted to spend her afternoon. "Look, the sooner your friends are healed and you leave, the quieter the city will be."

Okay, that definitely did not earn her any friends! The boy's frown deepened but he gave a short nod and gestured her closer. Her black leather boots crunched the snow beneath her feet as she knelt beside Miss Martian and the Kryptonian boy, her dark jeans were instantly soaked at the knees. She pulled off one of her warm black gloves and raised the hand above the green girl's head. A blue light surrounded her hand as she examined the injuries to the girl's head and began to heal the small fracture on the left parietal bone of her skull. Raven focused much of her attention on healing but watched the boy out of the corner of her eye. His arm was within reach of her body and if he didn't like something she did … well, she'd be the one with a fractured skull.

Luckily, it was just a small hairline fracture and some bruising. Within a few minutes, the girl's eye fluttered open and the boy was instantly on her, asking how she was feeling. Did it still hurt? Did she remember what day it was? Neither of them noticed when Raven stood and glided across the snow to start on the unconscious green boy. The emotions rolling off the pair made her uncomfortable. Human emotions were always so complicated and the emotions of lovers were powerful enough to give her a headache because of the way they hit her like a freight train.

The younger boy had just received a knock to the head and a possible minor concussion. She also healed the scrapes and bruises on his arms and legs, anything to avoid further questioning by the older pair. Their silence was irritating, she couldn't figure out why they weren't saying anything. She heard the snow crunch behind her.

Beast Boy groaned softly and rolled his head as he slowly came to. She stared impassively as his eyes flickered open and the glazed eyes focused on her. Raven had received numerous types of responses to her appearance, both in Azarath and on Earth. However, for the first time she found herself feeling somewhat humiliated as the green boy released a rather feminine "eep" and scooted away from her.

The Kryptonian reacted instantly, stepping between her and Beast Boy whose face was turning an interesting shade of green. She slowly straightened herself to meet the young man's icy gaze.

"What are you?" he demanded. The green girl seemed to be trying to pacify him with a quiet "Superboy!"

Raven raised an eyebrow in response to the question, "Now that is extremely rude."

"Answer the question."

"None of your business."

Superboy glared at her, his pale blue eyes made her awfully uncomfortable and she no longer felt any desire to help these people if this was the thanks she would get. She tilted her head forward, letting the hood of her cape slide to cover more of her face. She let her power wash over her body and opened a portal below her feet. Superboy gazed uncomprehendingly as she sank into the portal below her feet. The green girl seemed as a loss for words but the younger boy scrambled to his feet, tailing swinging wildly to balance himself.

"Hey! Wait!" Raven did not wait and let the portal close over her head.

Half an hour later she slipped through the narrow alleys of central Prague on her way to her apartment, enjoying the blossoming silence as she moved further from downtown. She had stripped off her purple cloak and stuffed it in her brown messenger bag. The snow had stopped falling without the machine but it still rested on the ground. The sun had begun to set below the city line and a red light had washed over the city of Prague. She was almost to her safe haven when she felt someone behind her. She spoke without turning around.

"I warn you right now," she growled, her voice more demonic than human, "I am in a bad mood and I will not hesitate to hurt you."

A chuckle echoed off the buildings. The voice was male with a hollow tone, perhaps a voice modifier?

"After seeing what you did to Freeze? I have no doubt that you could destroy me if you truly wanted to." She still didn't turn around. "Those Justice League brats aren't very nice, are they? They did the same sort of thing to me way back when. A little hint of darkness sends them into attack mode like a pack of rabid dogs. They fear what they don't understand."

Raven turned her head slightly, "what do you want?"

"First I want to talk. I want to offer you a place to belong on a team with others like you and I."

This caught her attention and she swung around to face a tall man, dressed head to toe in black. In the dying sunlight she could tell that he was protected in Kevlar and that the body suit was some high tech material. A raggedly cut cape draped behind him and a skull mask with two crossing red slashes covered his face, glowing eerily in the red light. She crossed her arms defensively, she didn't like feeling so exposed. The man unlatched a grey utility belt around his waist and tossed it to the side where it landed in a snow bank. Okay, she felt a little bit better now.

"What do you mean," she whispered, "I don't really understand what you want."

"You're not the only different one on this planet, daughter of Trigon."

It felt like ice cubes were sliding down her back. She tried to control her breathing but a light bulb over a nearby doorway blew. "I have no idea-"

"It's okay Raven. I already know about your heritage. And I know that you are like me, you don't want to become like your father but you can't resist the pull. I've been trying to resist for so long on my own, but I think it would be easier if I had some support."

Raven snapped her mouth shut and stared hard at the man. She opened herself up to his emotions. He was angry – so very angry – but it came from a deep hurt: perhaps a betrayal? The anger clouded most of his other emotions but she could also feel a deep sense of righteousness, honesty and a little bit of hope. He was hoping she would listen. It was that last emotion that changed her mind about running.

"I am not someone you want to have around. I can't always control my dark side," she tried

"Then wouldn't it be nice to have people that understand that you have a dark side and accept it as part of you?"

"I might hurt them."

"They can give as good as they get."

He was wearing her down. The loneliness that had been smothering her in her self-imposed exile was being lifted off her chest as she spoke with someone who might actually understand.

"I don't go anywhere with strange men," she said.

She could almost feel the smile behind the mask, "What do I have to do to not be a stranger?"

Raven was beginning to enjoy this. There was something about this man, the respect he seemed to give her and the understanding that passed between two broken souls, that made her feel a little more confident. He wasn't forcing her into anything, he was persuasive but it was ultimately her choice. She shifted her weight to one leg and uncrossed her arms, placing one hand on her hip.

"How about a name to start?" This was suspiciously similar to a flirtatious conversation two characters had in one of her books.

The man cocked his head to the side. "I go by Red X."

"That's a codename."

"Of course not," he drawled sarcastically, "That's the name my momma gave me."

She felt a smile curve onto her lips. Raising a hand towards the snow bank, his utility belt levitated up out of the snow and she directed it towards him. He grabbed it when she let it fall and slipped it back around his waist.

"Very well, since you are no longer a stranger are you ready to talk?"

"Shall we go somewhere quiet first?"

"If you turn on me I will kill you."

"Like I said before, I am well aware of your ass-kicking abilities."

"… What kind of tea do you like? I have many types at my apartment."

"I'm normally a green tea kind of guy," he stepped up beside her as Raven continued on to her apartment.

"I have many different flavors."

"Japanese Sencha?"

"Of course."

"You can be my new best friend."

"You are the strangest man I have ever met, Red X."

"Normal is overrated."

"… And rather boring too."

* * *

I had to do it. I loved Raven so much when she was in Teen Titans! You guys are probably thinking that Dick needs to be a bit moodier. However, I feel that a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders by giving up his leadership of the Team and that the friendly Dick in the comics can appear.

Please review and let me know if you like it!


	3. Birdbrains

__Sorry for the wait! I got a bit distracted with another project. Two weeks isn't that long is it?

Shout-out to lindz4567, dimonyo-anghel, lolmak, and Midnight Promise for their lovely reviews!

_Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it._

-Gilbert K. Chesterton

* * *

**Chapter 3: Birdbrains**

The Watchtower

September 30; 23:11 EDT

"Recognized: B01 Nightwing"

The zeta tube behind him had just barely cooled down before an overzealous green hound with long floppy ears skidded around the corner. The dog's nails screeched against the metal floor as he tried to maintain his balance on the slippery floor and Nightwing cringed when the dog crashed against the opposite wall. The dog shook his head and morphed into a small green-skinned boy who hopped right up to the taller man and stopped just short of hugging him.

"Nightwing! You're back!" Beast Boy cheered.

Nightwing smiled and ruffled the boy's head, "Miss me B.B.?"

Beast Boy grinned, showing a straight row of shiny white teeth, "It just isn't the same without you giving the orders."

"You'll have to wait a little longer for that," Nightwing replied, ignoring the small jolt in his stomach at Beast Boy's pout. As much as he missed leading the team, he had no desire to jump into that role again anytime soon. Tim had praised Barbara and Kaldur's leadership and Dick knew that the team was in capable hands. He had admitted to himself a long time ago that he was terrified that someone else would die under his leadership like Wally did.

He strode past the green-skinned boy and down the steps to the main hall of the Watchtower, with Beast Boy trailing behind him. Batman was debriefing Aqualad, Bumblebee, Wonder Girl, and Static on a recently completed mission in Nigeria, if he heard correctly. Batgirl was on a video call with Robin, giving him further instructions for his stake-out mission. The poor kid and his team had been stuck watching Wayne Enterprise's chemical research labs in Gotham for at least three nights in a row and erratically over the past two weeks. Batman was convinced that WE's supply of Xenothium would be next on the list of the thief. Of course, the fact that Bruce Wayne would lose a very expensive item had nothing to do with it.

Nightwing waited patiently while Kaldur finished his debriefing with Beast Boy bouncing impatiently next to him. He greeted the others warmly as they left for the showers and clasped hands with Kaldur in a tight grip.

"It is good to see you my friend," Kaldur greeted. The stress lines on his dark skin had been wiped away and the older man looked much more relaxed after a few months of missions going smoothly. "Have you thought anymore about returning to the Team?"

Nightwing's lips turned into a small but sad smile, "Still working on it, Kaldur. How have things been with the Team?"

"Everything is going well. Your new recruit is fitting in well enough as can be expected with the language barrier and everything."

"Rose Worth? I'm glad she's doing okay. With her mother's death and being in a new culture I was afraid that the adjustment would be too much." During a mission in Cambodia about a month ago, Nightwing experienced a tense situation with an unexpected team of mercenaries after the same bejeweled statue he was trying to protect. Zatanna and Doctor Fate were convinced that the statue was the exact same one found in Chinese mythology that opened a gateway to the underworld. After locating the ugly bird statue in a prominent and well-to-do brothel in Cambodia he arrived there with the intention of either buying it as Richard Grayson or stealing it as Nightwing. Hey! If it turned out to not be a gateway to the underworld, he would've brought the thing back!

Instead his solo mission became exceptionally complicated by the arrival of a mercenary group hired by Oswald Cobblepot – aka "the Penguin" – to take the statue for his personal collection. Although Nightwing fought to the best of his abilities, he couldn't protect everyone and several of the working girls died, including the owner Lillian Worth. Her teenaged daughter Rose brutally attacked the mercenaries in a fit of rage. Several of the mercenaries died before he managed to calm her down and although disturbed by the level of violence, he was impressed with her mastery of the dual swords she wielded. Language was a bit of an issue but he managed to convince her to drop the revenge act and they rounded up the rest of the mercenaries together. After a quick chat with his mentor and Kaldur, the Batman offered her a trial run with the Team (at least, he thought that's what happened since he couldn't follow the conversation at all because it was in Cambodian).

Of course, it was just his luck that the stupid statue would disappear during the scrimmage with the mercenaries.

"How's Rose doing?" Nightwing asked.

"I have placed her on a team with Robin, mainly because of his rudimentary knowledge of Cambodian," Kaldur sighed.

"Yeah … he's kind of strange like that," Nightwing was concerned by Kaldur's exasperation. "Beast Boy, could you give us a minute?" Although he looked annoyed by the dismissal, the young teen wandered off to join Static in the kitchen. "Okay, what's up?"

"Unfortunately, I fear that having her continue to work with Robin may cause other problems within the Team. Wonder Girl was suspicious from the beginning but now she is downright hostile towards Rose and in return Rose seems to take perverse pleasure in monopolizing Robin's time." Kaldur shook his head at the situation while Nightwing chuckled.

"Wow! You go Robin! Come on Kaldur, they're just kids. You might have to take Rose off a couple missions but it should work itself out."

"The problem is not her skills, it is her attitude. She is not working with the team dynamic," Kaldur replied.

Nightwing shrugged, "She's had a tough life. Let up a little and let her breath. She'll get the hang of the hero business eventually."

"Perhaps," Kaldur narrowed his eyes, "Her past is still very much a mystery and sometimes I question her motivation for staying on the Team."

The shorter man returned the look, "What, you think she's a spy? Kaldur, Batman ran a blood test and her mother died right in front of her just over a month ago. You and I both know how grief can affect a person."

Kaldur's eyes softened and he relaxed, "You are right. Perhaps I have been too judgmental. She is just so different from Virgil I can't help but compare them."

Nightwing scratched the back of his head, "Well, at least Virgil seems to be getting along with everyone."

"Yes," Batgirl interrupted, "At least one out of two. That is a fifty percent success rate," She and Dick returned smiles while Kaldur greeted her with a nod. If there was one person other than Tim and Alfred that Dick regretted hurting during his self-imposed exile, it was Barbara. "I am sorry to interrupt, but could I ask a favor of you Nightwing?"

"Sure," her hair was longer; kind of made him want to run his hands through it.

However, she was in Batgirl mode and shot him an unimpressed look as if she could tell exactly where his thoughts had travelled. "Could you head to Gotham and check on Robin and Beta Squad? He was looking stressed; I think Rose has been difficult again. I would go myself but I've reached my limit of 60 hours."

Looking closer, Dick noticed her deep blue eyes had lost some of their spark and dark bruises had formed under her eyes. "Sure I'll do it, no problem."

"Thanks," Barbara smiled, "I'll see you guys tomorrow." Batgirl waved and headed up to the zeta tubes. Dick turned back to find a knowing look on Kaldur's face.

"What?"

"I do not understand you two."

Nightwing shrugged, "That's what keeps it interesting," he winked at the Atlantean and followed Batgirl to the zeta tubes.

* * *

Gotham City

October 1; 00:24 EDT

Tim was bored and frustrated, but mostly so very bored. He really hated this mission, not that he would ever tell Batman. Very few people in the world have the guts to tell Batman to shove it, and Tim is not one of them. The most frustrating part of their mission was that it was based completely on guesswork. There was no evidence that Wayne Enterprises would be the thief's next target but it was the only Xenothium within Batman's realm of operation.

So there they were: Robin, Blue Beetle, Kid Flash, and Rose Worth. Four teenagers perched on a roof of questionable stability where they had a clear view of Wayne Chemical Research Labs. It's formerly sparkling white walls had turned a dirty beige from the smog in Gotham's air. Blue Beetle, aka Jaime, was wondering the other night whether his lungs would turn the same color if he sat on the roof long enough.

A gust of wind indicated that Bart had returned from his survey of the facility's perimeter. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing! How long are we going to be stuck here? I need some action or my legs will cramp up!" He pouted and scratched his red hair. Although Tim had become used to Bart wearing the Kid Flash uniform, he knew that Dick sometimes had trouble seeing Bart and not Wally. Just like the first few weeks when Tim donned the Robin uniform.

"You need to be patient and practice vigilance, Kid Flash," Robin scanned the facility with the heat sensor lenses in his domino mask. Rose was sitting near him on the building's ledge, sharpening her dual blades and paying no attention to the conversation. She had long since lost interest in the mission and Tim was just happy that she agreed to stay with them for the night. "Whoever this person is, they're very good and we can't lower our guard."

"How do we know it's not Catwoman? Isn't she some super-thief? Why doesn't Batman just go after her?" Kid Flash replied.

"Because he has no evidence," Robin countered, "The level of difficulty is certainly within Catwoman's ability but at the time of the theft at Queen's Incorporated in Star City she was fighting Batgirl in Gotham's East End. The thief took less than three minutes to get the Xenothium so it would be physically impossible for Catwoman."

"She would have to be in two places at once," Blue Beetle finished for Robin and then turned to the side to hiss: "No! Blowing up the Xenothium would not solve the problem!"

Robin and Kid Flash ignored the ramblings of their Latino comrade but Rose narrowed her cold blue eyes as she listened to the scarab's suggestion.

"Can we not make it – uh … go away?" Rose gestured to the facility at Robin's questioning look, "the target."

"Like move it?" Rose shrugged and shoved her white-blond hair away from her face. Not quite was she was suggesting. Then again, these people didn't think like her. "It would keep the Xenothium safer but then we would lose our best chance at catching the thief. Batman is willing to take the risk if we can get closer to catching the thief."

"Didn't he steal some in Geneva just last week?" Kid Flash countered, "We're kind of useless just sitting here if he or she is hitting the other locations."

"We have our orders," Robin replied. He was starting to feel upset with the growing mutiny among Beta Squad's ranks. Nightwing or Batgirl would have stopped it long ago. Robin just didn't think he could keep the team in line much longer. "I'll talk to Batman and Aqualad about the mission tomorrow. Maybe we can switch with another team."

"Please!" Bart flopped down on the roof and the boards creaked ominously beneath him, "let's ask for something far away from Gotham. How about … Fiji? That'd be so crash!"

"I agree," another voice interjected from the shadows of a nearby building, "How about you stay there and save me the grating sound of your voice."

Kid Flash nearly rolled with off the roof out of surprise if not for Blue Beetle grabbing hold of his leg. As it was, Bart had an upside-down view of Arsenal standing on a window ledge of the building next to them.

"Ar-Arsenal!" Robin called out in surprise. He snatched Bart's other foot and helped Blue Beetle pull him back onto the roof, all while keeping one eye on their sometimes-ally. Rose hadn't moved an inch and was eyeing Arsenal curiously, "What are you doing here?"

"I was visiting a friend and heard an interesting story. Apparently a group of sidekicks have been hanging around outside his window for a couple nights. I didn't believe him since no one in the hero business would be stupid enough to use the same vantage point night after night. But here you are, proving me wrong." Arsenal leaned back against the stone wall. He made no move to join them on the building.

Robin winced, "it's the best one! Where does your friend live?"

Arsenal jerked his thumb behind them. The top floors of the apartment building looked out over the roof Beta Squad had perched on for the past few nights. Several windows had faces and cameras pressed against them. Robin felt a cold sweat dribble down his back. Batman was going to be _so_ disappointed.

"You got lazy. Just because the Light is supposedly broken up does not mean the threat has passed. Any one of their assassins could have been waiting for you tonight."

"Arsenal is right," Jaime admitted, "We should probably move before it becomes dangerous."

"Right," Robin was feeling flustered from having Arsenal of all people criticize his lack of foresight, "Let's move West to Position C. We can set up there for the rest of the night."

"Robin," Rose interjected, "Who - ?" she waved her hand in Arsenal's direction.

Bart jumped in to reply, "That's Arsenal. He was the original DNA for Red Arrow and was frozen for years by the Light while Red Arrow took his place. He used to be part of the Team," Arsenal slowly released his clenched fists before anyone realized how much Kid Flash's words bothered him.

"Not now?" Rose asked, but she was looking at Arsenal.

"No," he did not elaborate further.

"But the invitation is an open one, and he can come back to the Team when he wants to," Robin said. Arsenal has always been distant from everyone else in the League and on the Team since his return, but his body position was borderline hostile and he snorted at Robin's words.

"Like that will happen anytime soon. I'm outta here. See ya, losers!" Arsenal shot off a grappling gun and swung away from them to disappear in the fog rolling off the harbor.

"Always a pleasure talking with you," Jaime grumbled.

Beta Squad quickly reoriented themselves with a view of the labs from the West. They had barely settled down when Nightwing swung up onto the roof. He greeted the four teenagers warmly and they responded with varying degrees of friendliness.

"Everything alright here?" The young man asked. The question was for everyone but his eyes were on Robin.

"Nothing to report yet," the current Boy Wonder replied. He tried not to fiddle under Nightwing's stare. Dick would be questioning him in private later. For now he was cut off by Robin's wrist computer indicating a tripped alarm in the building which was followed by a blaring siren and the facility being illuminated in spotlights.

Kid Flash nearly fell off the roof again and Blue Beetle swore in Spanish. "Let's go!" Robin ordered, "Nightwing?"

"I'll join you, but this is your mission," Nightwing winked at him and Robin felt that pressure bearing down on him.

The four teenagers and one young adult quickly headed down to the pavement in front of the facility. A group of scientists were having their ids checked by security personnel. The security woman jumped when the teenaged heroes appeared beside her.

"What's the situation?" Robin demanded.

The woman blinked in surprise at having Batman's sidekick standing before her, "A theft. I'm not authorized to tell you much more than that, even if you are Robin."

"Then contact someone who is. I can help."

"The entire facility is in lock-down," she warned, "but I'll see what I can do." She pressed the communicator in her ear, "Sir? This is Mulroney. I have Robin here requesting permission to speak with you … No, sir, not the bird, Batman's partner. He's here with Nightwing, Kid Flash, Blue Beetle, and some other girl … Yes, sir." She lowered he hand and gestured the teens to follow her. They travelled around the building to a discreet side door which opened when she knocked. On the other side was a large, beefy security guard with thick black hair tied at the nape of his neck.

"I am Head of Security, George Blacksnake. Please call me Blacksnake, everyone does. I welcome your assistance, Nightwing, Robin."

Robin's hand was dwarfed by the other man's, "I hope that we can be of help. Tell me what happened."

They trailed Blacksnake down a series of corridors and stairs while the man explained. After receiving warnings about the thefts of Xenothium, security around Wayne Enterprise's supply had been tripled. Three days ago the supply had been secretly moved to a level four security vault with 24 hour video surveillance aimed directly at the Xenothium and physical checks on the supply by security personnel every ten minutes.

"We had discussed these security measures with Mr. Wayne himself. Mr. Fox suggested placing the Xenothium in the vault that housed the Kryptonite. It is the most secured vault in Gotham City. At least, that's what we thought."

"Was the Kryptonite stolen as well?" Robin asked.

"No, and that is what confuses me most," Blacksnake placed his hand on the palm reader and leaned in to let his right eye be scanned. "The Kryptonite would be much more valuable on the black market."

The silver doors slid open and revealed a small gathering of senior scientists and security guards crowded around an open drawer in the vault. There were numerous other drawers in the vault that remained untouched.

"Only three of the drawers were used to store Kryptonite, all the others were decoys meant to waste a thief's time. The Xenothium vials were stored in one."

"Except, your thief knew exactly where he was going," Robin concluded, "what about the video surveillance?"

"Hacked," Blacksnake answered, "The vault feed was placed on a loop for five minutes in between physical checks."

"How did he get into the vault?"

"We don't know yet. There is a record made of every time the vault doors are opened. For the past half hour, all openings have been on schedule of ten minute intervals. There are no other entrances into the vault, not even an air duct."

"Hmmm," Kid Flash leaned his weight on one foot, "Sounds like this guy knew way more than he should have."

"But how would he get out?" Blue Beetle asked, "The entire building has been on lock-down."

"I was able to get you in," Blacksnake replied, "If I was absolutely sure that the thief was still in the building you four would still be outside. We have to go over all of our video feeds, movement of personnel, and use of security codes to be sure, but I am positive that this guy is long gone."

"What makes you say that?" Robin asked.

"Morrison!" Blacksnake barked at a lanky security guard, "Bring it over here!"

Morrison gingerly handed Robin a piece of paper tucked safely away in a plastic bag. The paper was white and of standard printer size; the ink was thick and black, perhaps a Sharpie or another permanent marker. Both items could be bought at any supply store. What was drawn on the paper was what Blacksnake was interested in. A cartoon bat and two small cartoon birds were doodled crudely on the top of the page. A message was scrawled beneath the pictures in large block letters: "TRY AND CATCH ME BIRDBRAINS!"

Kid Flash whistled as he read the message over his shoulder and Blue Beetle examined the paper with his scanners for trace residue. "This guy's gunning for you, Rob."

"Not just Robin," Nightwing added as he examined the paper over Robin's shoulder. The lenses of his mask were a glowing red indicating that he was scanning the paper as well. "It's clean," Blue Beetle pulled back and agreed.

"I'll have the lock-down lifted when the entire facility is checked and then the proper authorities can get to work. You are of course welcome to observe or do your own investigation," Blacksnake offered.

"Thank you, but I believe Batman would like to take the lead on this investigation," Robin quickly informed Batman of the situation through his comm link and almost cringed at the disgruntlement in his voice. Beta Squad had been observing the facility on-and-off for nearly two weeks and the thief still managed to make off with $50 million in Xenothium.

After he cut the connection with Batman, Rose snatched the bagged paper out of his slacked grip. She slowly read over the note before surveying the vault with a critical eye. A smile slowly spread across her face and she shoved the paper back at Robin, "What?" he asked.

Her eyes glinted with an unknown emotion and her smile became predatory, "You will not catch this man," she sneered, "not until he is ready."

"What do you mean Rose?"

"This man knows Robin," she poked him in the chest, "knows Batman, knows the Team. He is playing a game."

Robin waved away her hand, "You can't know that."

Rose shrugged and turned away. Robin rubbed at the spot on his chest, trying not to think about the possibility that someone knew how the Team operated. Aqualad had promised that he didn't let that much information slip while he was undercover. It was just a coincidence.

* * *

Gotham City

October 1; 00:55 EDT

Roy Harper pulled his blue baseball hat lower over his eyes as he strode purposefully down what has become known as Crime Alley. Park Row in Gotham City was dangerous, even for a guy who spent his nights playing hero. It was unbelievable to him how someone could survive growing up in a place like this, especially anyone under the age of 18. Dirty street kids, their faces and clothes smeared with filth, peered out at him from behind dented garbage cans. Their faces were hardened, their eyes narrow and distrustful. The adults were not much better; most of them were covered in scarring, their clothing old and worn. The buildings were old and decaying both inside and out. Crime Alley was the rotting center of Gotham City.

He waved off a prostitute and entered a decrepit apartment building that should have been condemned ten years ago. Roy climbed the stairs to the third floor, past walls of graffiti and gang symbols, to a worn door at the end of the hall. The room inside was dark except for the glow of a decades old television and a fading table lamp. The furniture, although old and worn, was still in good condition and the apartment looked taken care of. Two people sat on the couch in front of the television.

"Took you long enough, Harper," the one on the right mocked. He turned away from a report on a stolen ancient Egyptian cat statue to smirk at Roy. His dark hair fell gracefully over his forehead and his teal eyes stared mischievously from beneath heavy shadows. A small patch of white hair was growing at his temple. Although handsome enough, the dark haired boy had a hardened look to his face that closely resembled the street kids of Crime Alley.

Roy gave the couch potatoes a rude hand gesture and removed his dirty leather boots to slouch down on a fraying lay-z-boy next to the couch. The dark-haired girl nodded at him in greeting and took a sip of her herbal tea. Her skin was so pale, it was almost gray, and her violet eyes were the only pop of color on the otherwise monochromatic girl.

"May I remind you that you had the portal hopping half-demon? Jackass! By the way, your neighborhood sucks."

"What're you talking about? Crime Alley is the perfect place to raise children!"

"Your roots are showing."

"Shut up! I'm always dying that stupid patch!"

"Hello Roy," an accented voice greeted from behind him, "I see that you are still in one piece." The woman that passed his chair with a bowl of popcorn was tall, like three inches over six feet tall, and built like a war-like supermodel. Her skin was had a glowing orange tone that matched her vibrant red hair perfectly. She had a body more voluptuous than any human woman Roy has ever seen, so he did feel a bit jealous when she curled up on the couch next to the dark-haired boy. Her glowing green eyes gazed at the television screen while the dark-haired boy and girl passed the bowl of popcorn between them.

"So … Red X," Roy started as the news report ended and a movie started, "did everything go as plan?"

"Yup," the other boy tossed a piece of popcorn in his mouth, "Raven got me in, got me out, I dropped off the package, and we got back in time for some James Bond. Thanks for volunteering to play distraction."

Roy shrugged, "Less destructive than Starfire's methods of distraction."

The mentioned redhead glared, "We do not have such notions of subterfuge on Tamaran. If we want something, we kick down the door and take it."

"We know, Princess," Red X smiled at the curvaceous redhead. His face was hard but his eyes were soft as he spoke to the wayward alien. "But I really didn't need any more attention being drawn to us. It was for the best to use Roy as a distraction that they would never see. Anyways, you would have sent those choir boys to an early grave just with your uniform."

Starfire smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, "Always so charming."

"Can we please watch the movie?" Raven drawled from the other side of Red X. The others promptly apologized for talking and all four settled in to watch the movie. They ignored the fact that three of them essentially committed grand theft of an item worth almost $50 million.

* * *

The challenge has been issued! Kudos to who can guess Rose Worth's real identity (hint: she is actually a DC Comics character).

As always, let me know what you think by leaving me a review!

Cheers!


	4. Here Kitty, Kitty - Ouch!

Sorry for the wait. This chapter got way too long so I had to split it up. Naturally, everyone guessed Rose's identity. For those of you who didn't, sneak a look at the reviews for the last chapter.

A cameo in this chapter by one of my favourite DC leading ladies who should have appeared in at least one Young Justice episode. If just to get Batman all hot and bothered and make Robin (either one) feel awkward.

* * *

_"Women and cats will do as they please, men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."_

-Robert A. Heinlein

* * *

**Chapter 4: Here Kitty, Kitty - Ouch!**

October 4, 02:34 EST

Gotham City

Gotham City is dirty, violent, and downright disgusting. When it comes to violent crime levels, the city is positioned second in the United States, above Flint, Michigan and below Gotham's suburb of Bludhaven in ratings of the most dangerous cities in the country. Gotham's poverty rate fluctuates somewhere between 30 and 35% with the widest class division seen in the developed world. The city is just absolutely miserable; misery that bleeds off the streets into the atmosphere on dark, gloomy nights like these.

Tonight is the perfect night for Selina Kyle to get to work. The waxing crescent moon is hidden behind rolling grey clouds and the streets are distorted from all the smog trapped below the cloud level. Low visibility makes a textbook night for any thief, especially one with Selina's know-how.

Her interest for the past week lay hidden behind the walls of Gotham's Art Museum. The bronze statue of the seated goddess Bastet in her cat form was utterly enchanting and is the centerpiece of the Museum's exhibition on cults in ancient Egypt. She had her eye on the Gayer-Anderson Cat for years and now it is just within her reach. Of course, the statue is guarded by the most advanced security system ever used for archeological artifacts. That just made it all the more appealing. Every girl loves a good challenge every now and then.

Selina paused on the roof of one of Gotham's classier row houses just across from the museum. She tried not to think about how she used to dream about living in one of these fancy high middle-class homes back when she was a scrawny street urchin. It's best to leave the past in the past. Instead she should focus on the change of guards that would occur in the next ten minutes. She wrapped her bull whip around her waist and tested the retractable claws in her gloves and boots.

"Miss Kyle."

Shocked by the sound of her name, Selina quickly pulled on the bull whip to unravel it and expertly flicked the dangerous end at the giant flying rodent that had appeared behind her. The Batman jumped to the side and Selina pulled back for another try. A black and red blur at the corner of her eye changed the course of the whip. She brought the whip down hard where bird-boy was going to land and disappointment twisted her lips when he contorted his body to avoid the attack.

"Stop," the Dark Knights voice growled. He raised his hands in a show of peace. Selina didn't let her guard down, "We are not here to fight. We need your expertise."

"Oh?" Selina purred. She snapped the whip back into her hands and straightened to her unimpressive height of 5'7". Although her body language made her appear casual, her muscles were screaming from the tension.

Robin, the third one with the ugly haircut, tossed a file at her feet. Keeping both vigilantes in her eyesight, Selina slowly picked the file up. She slowly flipped through the papers and photos, acknowledging the words and sentences highlighted in yellow.

"What do you want to hear?" she murmured, "You're the world's greatest detective."

"But I am not a master thief. I would like your opinion on the matter."

Selina rested a hand on her hip, "The Dark Knight asking for help? Can I get this in writing?"

"We can pretend that you weren't considering stealing the Gayer-Anderson Cat," Robin piped up. She shot the boy an annoyed look that didn't translate well through her yellow-tinged goggles. _Arrogant little twerp_.

"So I get to walk away tonight if I help you?" Robin nodded but the Batman was immobile. This wasn't how she planned her night to go but beggars can't be choosers. "Fine, we have a deal."

Catwoman flipped open the file and quickly read over the highly organized information. _Anal, meticulous bastard_, that young snarky voice echoed in her head, _scribble in the corners just to piss him off!_ She ignored the echo of the past in her head and focused on the words and pictures on the pages. Taking care to keep the smirk off her face, Selina took great care in examining the note left at the last crime scene.

"You have a little kitten pulling your strings," she said.

"Explain," the Dark Knight growled. She kind of liked the way his voice made shivers run down her spine.

"What I mean," she sauntered over and poked him in the chest. Bird boy was turning red under his mask, "is that this guy is young, cocky, gifted, and oh so very bored. He wants you to challenge him."

"I wasn't asking for a psychoanalysis."

"But you want me to confirm what you already know. This guy's not feeling challenged by his targets and wants you to make it more interesting."

"How do you know the thief is male?" Robin asked.

She held up the crude drawing, "Not very ladylike is it, birdbrain?" Robin turned red again, either out of anger or embarrassment. Embarrassment is far more likely; this Robin is more of a push over then the last one.

"What do you make of his targets?"

"Well …" She stepped away from the man to open the folder again, "He's working for someone. No cat burglar would want to keep all that Xenothium, it would be useless and ridiculously difficult to sell on the black market."

"Have you heard about any job offers for Xenothium?"

She laughed softly, "This wasn't an open job. I'd say your boy here has been trained to work for one person. Chemicals are dangerous to play with; certainly not my expertise." She tossed the file back at Batman's feet but Robin was the one who picked it up.

"Have you heard about new players in your line of work?"

Selina placed her hands on her hips and quirked her lips at his question, Batman remained unaffected by her amusement. "Do you even understand how 'my line of work' actually works? There is no safe I can't crack. There is no such thing as an impenetrable vault to me. But you want to know something? I'm not the best. The best thief is not seen, heard, or spoken about. I lost that status a long time ago because of _you_." She took one more step up onto the ledge of the building and readied her whip. "I'll give you boys one last piece of advice from a woman's perspective. This guy is either very careful or very good at improvising. He's the type that doesn't make mistakes. I'd be careful if I were you because if there is one thing people love more than a hero, it's to see a hero fall." She grinned viciously and back flipped into the darkness of the streets below.

Robin hurried to the edge, "Should we follow her, Batman?"

"No," Batman pulled out a grappling gun and turned away from where Catwoman disappeared. "I got what I needed to know."

"What's that?" Robin lined up his gun next to his mentor's.

"That she knows more than she says she does."

* * *

October 4, 16:10 EST

Gotham City

It had been almost thirteen hours since Batman and Robin had cornered her on a rooftop. Her phones remained untouched. She has long suspected that the Batman bugged her phones since he always seems to appear during her biggest heists. But this was so very important that she had to call in a favor. She hates calling in favors.

The tall, dark haired woman stood patiently outside Glendale Apartments room 115 after knocking. Old Mrs. Browning used to live in her building last year but moved uptown after her son won the lottery. He was flighty, never able to stay in one place for very long which left his widowed mother very lonely. The woman had been kind, friendly, and very trusting; qualities that Selina admired. She would help Mrs. Browning with cleaning her apartment or shopping for groceries and the woman always offered to repay her. Selina turned her down every time.

Unfortunately, now she had to call in that favor.

The door creaked open to reveal a white-haired elderly woman bent over a wooden cane. Her tired brown eyes blinked owlishly up at the tall woman in her doorway.

"Selina?"

"Hi Mrs. Browning," Selina gently held the woman's withered hand between her own, "I'm terribly sorry to bother you, but I was hoping that you could help me?"

"Oh! Of course! Come in darling girl! Have a seat, would you like some tea? I just made a fresh pot. How about some cookies? I made a batch for Mr. Jones next door." Selina accepted the china cup and sat down gingerly on the expensive-looking beige couch. Mrs. Browning's son must have felt very guilty for his absences. "When was the last time I saw you, dear?"

"Last month at the craft fair. You were looking at quilts, remember?"

"Oh yes! I bought a lovely blue one and you carried it home for me. How have you been?"

Selina took a sip of the black tea, "That's actually why I'm here, Mrs. Browning. I've been having trouble with an ex-boyfriend. I think he has been listening into my phone calls and hacking my email."

Mrs. Browning held a thin hand up to her mouth. She didn't understand anything about the Internet or how someone could listen into a private phone conversation, "Have you tried the police?"

Selina resisted rolling her eyes, "They won't do anything. They say that I don't have enough proof. I was wondering if I could use your phone. It would be one long distance call. I will pay you, of course."

The old woman reached across the coffee table and patted Selina's knee, "No need to pay me, dear. My son has set up my phone for long distance calls because he's always off on some adventure around the world. You go right ahead and use the phone. I'll give you some privacy. I have to bring those cookies over to Mr. Jones anyways."

Selina thanked her old friend and waited until the door closed before dialing the number. It rang twice before a youthful male voice answered.

"_Yes?"_

"It's me."

"_Hey, kitty! I haven't heard from you in a while."_

"Well I've heard that you've been busy. The Bat is getting nosy."

"_So he finally got to you, huh? Always did have a problem asking for help."_

"I hope you know what you're doing, kid."

"_Oh, you know … just thought I'd bumble my way through …. Of course I know what I'm doing. I have a fucking Plan H for each stage of the operation. I have backups for my backups."_

"Are you saying that pissing off the flying rodent is all part of your plan?"

"_Pissing him off is the first stage. Fucking him over is stage number two. Dragging him through Hell and back is the final stage of my plan. I'm really looking forward to that last one,"_ she could just imagine the grin on his face.

"Sounds like you're going to have some fun in the next few months."

"_It's going to be a blast. Literally. Good job in using a new phone, my instruments don't indicate any third party trying to track this call or listen in."_

"Well, you've made me paranoid. Good luck, kid. If you ever need me, you know where to find me."

"_Are you offering your help? For free?"_

"Can't a teacher do something nice for her favorite student?"

"_I'm your only student. Yes, I'll get you out of Arkham next time; I'm assuming that's what you're asking for?"_

"Nailed it! Toodles, darling."

"_Always a pleasure hearing your voice."_

The line went dead.

* * *

October 4, 13:34 PDT

Jump City

Across the country in Jump City, California, a dark haired young man hacked the phone records of AT&T to eliminate the short phone call from their records. If there was one thing he could claim to be an expert in, it was covering his tracks. He was very good at disappearing.

On his other laptop was an open email:

"J-

WayneTech purchases succeeding. LexCorp negotiations on schedule.

Found original coffin maker. Agreed to contract. Trail ends with him.

S.T.A.R Labs product nearing completion.

And more funds in account, enjoy.

-T"

The sunshine glared off the laptop's screen through the floor to ceiling windows. Sure, the glare could get annoying but it is a necessary evil for the view of a sparkling white beach and endless miles of ocean. It's a view so completely opposite from what he grew up with in the slums of Gotham City. Why would he ever give this up to go back to dirty, smoggy, Gotham?

On the other side of the library room, the door slid open to reveal Roy Harper and Raven. The redhead strode purposefully towards the desk while his petite, dark haired companion followed at his heals. Red X disconnected from the phone company's server and pushed aside his laptop.

"We need to talk," Roy started.

Red X leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingers on the armrest, "What about?"

"It's not fair how you seem to know everything about everyone here. You bring us all one board this big plan you've got with some secretive sponsor but you don't tell us the endgame let alone your name! We need answers!" he demanded.

Raven rested her hand on Roy's arm and pulled him away from the desk, "Let me handle this. We understand that you can't tell us everything, and we both joined you on that knowledge," she shot a glare when the redhead opened his mouth to interject, "But we feel that you don't trust us and that makes us uncomfortable."

Red X rubbed his eyes, "You're asking me to meet you halfway?"

Raven slapped a hand over Roy's mouth, "Yes."

The taller man hesitated.

"Just tell them," the orange alien with her glowing green eyes spoke from the doorway. "At least what you are able to." She smiled sincerely at the look the young man behind the desk shot her, "I'm still here, am I not?"

Roy ripped Raven's hand from his mouth, "Wait! You know? Oh, now you have to tell us! That's just not fair!"

"Stop whining, you sound like a child," Raven chastised.

"I was frozen like a popsicle for eight years while my clone lived my life. I think I have every right to whine!"

"You do," Red X agreed, "You also have every right to demand your revenge. Just like Raven has every right to be free of her father and Koriand'r has every right to destroy any man who tries to enslave her. That is why I asked you all to join me, because you have been denied your justice."

"And what have you been denied?" Roy asked.

The plastic armrest groaned under his grip, "Like you, I have been denied my revenge."

"What revenge? What happened to you" Raven's voice was soft but the gravely undertones of her demonic heritage were still prevalent.

"I was the second Robin, the one who died." He ignored the stares of Roy and Raven and instead focused on Starfire's warm presence. "My name is Jason Todd. On April 27th, 2014, I had my skull bashed in with a crowbar by the Joker and was then blown up by the Joker."

Roy shook his head, "I don't understand. If you died, are you some sort of zombie?"

"I don't know how I am alive again but I have no desire to eat your brain, so I am definitely not a zombie. I remember few things following my resurrection. What I do know is that the Joker is still alive and there is another boy wearing my old uniform." His smirk was strained at the corners when he looked at Raven, "I guess you could say that I have daddy problems too." Raven reached across the desk to grasp his hand.

"You want the Batman to kill the Joker?" Roy snorted, "Keep dreaming. The guy is fuckin' stubborn, he'd never do it."

"On my planet, we understand that logic does not dictate how we feel," Koriand'r stepped up next to Jason's chair and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Did you not tell me just the other day how you expected your mentor Green Arrow to search for you when you were on ice? You must have known that he would presume you dead after so long, but it still hurt you very much. We expect more from the people we love so we are hurt more deeply when they don't meet those expectations."

The former archer's cheeks turned red and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Ah … you're right. Sorry man. But why don't you kill the Joker yourself?"

"Oh, believe me," Jason's grin was malicious; "I plan to."

"Moving away from the topic of killing psychopaths," Raven looked somewhat uncomfortable, "What exactly are you trying to do with this team?"

"Unfortunately we don't move very far away from that topic, Raven. The plan is to kill a bloodthirsty, extremely powerful, alien from Apokolips who seeks to conquer Earth and enslave the population. Will this be a problem?"

The other three stared.

"Well, that doesn't sound so difficult," Roy quipped, "Wouldn't the Justice League be better suited for this?"

Jason snorted, "Please! Even if they do beat him, they'll just send him to another dimension where he'll vow revenge and escape. If you want to stop a threat, you have to do it permanently!"

"This doesn't sound like something I would expect of you. You don't seem like the hero type," Raven said.

Jason's face softened, "I wouldn't consider myself a hero. Not in the way I used to be. A friend asked this of me. I owe her my life so it wasn't a hard decision to make."

Starfire clapped her hands, "When do we start?"

"We already have. However, there's this meta-human at the university, I think he's in one of my classes-"

Roy cut him off, "Just hold on a second! How do expect a group of teenagers to take out an all-powerful alien?"

Jason raised an eyebrow and smirked at the agitated teen, "Everyone has their Kryptonite, Harper."

Raven raised an eyebrow, "That's cryptic."

"That's all I'm allowed to say. How's the new arm?"

Roy examined his new mechanical arm, "It feels good. The sensors are a nice addition, I like that I can feel when I touch something with it."

"Good," Jason nodded in approval, "I have news that the combat ready version is almost complete. It should give you much more firepower than Luthor's arm had without the remotely controlled bomb hidden in the wrist joint."

Roy spat curses under his breath and Jason turned to the half-demon, "Is your room almost done?"

"Yes. Thank you for your help yesterday."

"Two pairs of hands are better than one. Especially when putting together an IKEA bed," Jason pushed away his chair and stood up, "What do you guys say to some pizza? I'm sick of cooking for you lazy asses all the time."

"If you would let me cook-"

"Kori, we are not eating Tamaranian food. I'm sorry, but our bodies just can't digest it."

"Here's an idea! What if we force-feed Luthor some Tamaranian food?"

"Wow," Raven drawled, hiding a shudder, "I didn't know your hate for him ran so deep."

"You're right," Roy scratched the back of his head, "That's a little too close to torture. I'll think of something else."

Jason locked the door to the study behind him, "Don't hurt yourself thinking, Roy. Your revenge on Luthor is already factored into my plans. Let me tell you about it over lunch."

* * *

Kind of a transition chapter, but I promise that it's all leading somewhere! Young Justice has way too many characters and I just keep adding more just to be an idiot! I'm going to pull my hair out trying to keep track of them all!

Some of you are probably wondering about Starfire's character. The Princess Koriand'r I'm using is mainly from Red Hood and the Outlaws series. I loved Raven in Teen Titans but Starfire's background was inconsistent and I really disliked her broken way of talking. It reminded me of "Indian" characters in old Western TV shows or movies. I know most people hate her free sexuality in the New-52 (I've toned that down to keep it rated T) but I adore how much she cares for her friends and her take-no-prisoners attitude when people try and mess with them. I know that I'm in the minority, but I like a bad-ass Kori who does what (or who) she wants. Just to clear things up for any confused souls out there.

The next chapter won't take so long, I promise! It will be up soon ... after I'm done editing it 14 million times as usual.

Review please! I'll love you lots! I'll even bake cookies on my car's dashboard! Unless you prefer eggs on a sidewalk ... sorry, weather joke. I'm melting in this heat.


	5. Drunk Skunks Playing Pool

So last time, I was in a rush to get chapter 4 up before I had to leave and only realized later that I forgot to thank my reviewers! So here it is for chapters 3 and 4. Thanks to: lolmak, nightwolf, That dorky blonde (who reviewed twice!), Cloud646, raindropsfromjupiter, RollingUpHigh, Soului, and 2 Guests. Thank you guys so much taking the time to review! I really appreciate your feedback!

"_Whatever it takes to find the real you, don't be daunted if the rest of the world looks on in shock."_

-Stephen Richards

* * *

**Chapter 5: Drunk Skunks Playing Pool**

Gotham City

October 6, 06:45 EST

Tim Drake had been staring at his computer screen since he woke up an hour ago. Unlike other 15 year olds, he had not spent his morning playing computer games or on Facebook stalking friends. He didn't even have a Facebook page let alone any friends he'd want to email. Instead, Tim was cross-referencing residents of the upscale Glendale apartment complex with previous residency in the Park Row area. Yes, Tim was no ordinary teenager.

His computer screen flashed to indicate the scan was completed and Tim pulled up the results. In the past 15 years, three residents had moved from Park Row to Glendale Apartments. One, a Mrs. Sarah Browning, had spent almost all of her 86 years in Park Row before moving to Glendale last year. Pulling up her phone and internet information, Tim started by hacking her Internet information, only for that to lead to a dead end since she hasn't accessed the Internet in a week. Her phone records were far lengthier but no calls were made within the timeframe that Selina Kyle was in the building for.

Tim shoved his laptop away in frustration. The other two residents were dead ends as well and so were all the other leads Bruce had him following since the meeting with Catwoman. Instead of stewing over his failure, Tim headed downstairs for a cup of tea and some of Alfred's delicious breakfast before he headed to school. Bruce was standing in the foyer at the bottom of the stairs with an aging dark-skinned man: Lucius Fox, CEO of Wayne Enterprises. The atmosphere was tense.

"Hello Tim, how are you this morning?" Lucius greeted.

"I'm good, thank you Mr. Fox. How are you?"

"Could be better, could be worse. Just a very early meeting," Lucius smiled. Bruce nodded at his ward which could be taken as a greeting or 'I'll keep you informed'. Tim slipped into the next room but kept his ear to the door.

"How did this happen?" Bruce asked.

"How does this ever happen, Bruce? They had a ton of money and they knew what they wanted. They're a small German holding company. I'm told it's made up of several heavy hitters from the European tech industry. They were careful. They bought out scores of small stockholders in the Kord Corporation. All within 48 hours. None of it came up on our radar.

"As of ten hours ago, Kord Corporation, Wayne Industries' Research and Development Branch, was the target of a hostile takeover. Five hundred and twenty-six million dollars later and they own it. Bruce… this completely wipes out Wayne Industries' R&D division."

There was a shuffle of paper and some shoes creaked over the wooden floor.

"I'll look over alternative options to bring into Wayne Enterprises. I would like to recommend expanding our contract with S.T.A.R Labs in the meantime. I will be in touch, enjoy your day Bruce." The front door creaked as it opened and slammed shut behind Lucius Fox.

There was a pause, "Tim."

The small teenager stepped into the foyer, "What's going on with Kord?"

"We'll have to use what we have for now. At least until I can find another trustworthy supplier."

Tim studied his mentor's face, "You look worried."

"All that tech I ordered from them is out there to be sold on the public markets or at worst to psychotics: government, mercenary or terrorist. I am cut off from further advancements other than the ones I find time to make."

"What are you thinking?"

The older man was silent for a moment, "You have to get to school."

"Bruce! I can help, just let me-"

"Your parents are coming home today, from that dig in Peru. Leave me what you've found on Catwoman's movements. I will call if I need you."

Tim felt the anxiety creeping in. It was happening again, Bruce was pulling away, "It doesn't change anything if they're in Gotham-"

"Family is important, Tim," Bruce's eyes were dark and unreadable; "You should spend some time with yours."

Tim stared forlornly at his mentor's back. _Who is my family?_

* * *

Jump City

October 7, 22:24 PDT

Out of all the pubs on campus, Patty's Place was probably the rowdiest and most crowded pub at the end of the week. This was mostly because the undergrad bar was very lenient with checking ID and would let the really bad fakes slide with a warning to pay more for a better one. Majority of the students were definitely not of legal age.

Jump City University was a hot destination on the west coast for students from cooler climates. With an average yearly snowfall of 2 cm and a very short winter season, people from the north flocked to Jump City for the warmer climate with just a little taste of home. The great beaches and excellent beach volleyball were certainly beneficial to attracting snowbirds. With a huge percentage of the student body from the north, sports like ice hockey had grown in popularity and added more nights to the sporting ritual of beer and company on campus.

Benjamin Tarski was one of the aforementioned students. He had applied to Jump City University on a whim: the location was warm, the campus modern, and the academic level commendable for a new school. Of course, in no way was it comparable to NYU or Columbia, but neither one offered a full scholarship that also covered living like Jump City did. That scholarship was definitely what convinced him to travel across the United States to settle in the West Coast for four years, regardless of the rising crime levels.

Even after his first few weeks on campus, Benjamin still felt like an outsider looking in. He really wanted to be part of this crazy student life but found that he couldn't relate to his fellow students. After his first few attempts during Frosh Week he shied away from pub crawls or obnoxiously loud floor parties. It didn't help that his roommate was just as shy and went home every weekend to have his mom do his laundry and enjoy a home cooked meal.

This break in his monotonous regime of all work and no play came at the request of one of his classmates in World History 101 discussion group B. Peter Haywood was good-looking, quick-witted, and probably knew more about the subject than their TA. Benjamin was lucky enough to get the seat next to him the first day and Peter had started up a friendly conversation on their classes. After several random meetings outside of class Peter had invited him out tonight to hang out with his friends and watch the Jump City Sharks take on the Steel City Wings in the local ice hockey rivalry.

The game had long since ended with a close victory for the Sharks and Benjamin had enjoyed watching Peter's group of friends get completely hammered in celebration. The girls had gravitated to the dance floor with some of the guys and were dancing up a storm. The tall redheaded bombshell Kori was certainly attracting a great deal of male attention and had a small circle of the braver ones around her. The dark haired Rachel had disappeared several minutes ago and Benjamin hoped she would return soon because he enjoyed the companionship of a fellow shy soul.

Benjamin had opted to skip dancing, being an impressive 6'9" made dancing look very awkward. Instead he was watching Peter and his friend Roy take on some fourth year fraternity guys in a game of pool. For the first few rounds, it looked like they were evenly matched. Now with the stakes raised to a couple hundred dollars, Peter and Roy weren't giving their opponents any breathing room.

The frat boys did not look happy.

"Fuck yeah!" Peter cheered high-fiving Roy before collecting his winnings from the side of the table. Although fowled-mouth, impossibly blunt, and borderline rude in just casual conversation, Peter certainly had some charm about him. Maybe it was his mischievous smile that was a little too toothy or his untamable thick dark black hair with a slight curl at the end. Perhaps it was the glint in his teal eyes or the way he completely ignored the anger of the fraternity guys. Whatever the reason, Benjamin would totally be interested in Peter if the guy wasn't completely impossible to read.

Benjamin joined Peter and Roy as they split the winnings under the glaring eyes of the sore losers. "Nice game guys! I can't say I know pool all that well but I was impressed!"

"Thanks," Peter grinned, "but major props to one-armed Roy!"

The spiky haired redheaded detached his motorized right arm and used his left hand to wave it at the fraternity guys. Their glower became more pronounced and the larger one with a buzz cut marched over.

"I want a rematch!" he spat. The man stank of hard liquor and his eyes were slightly glazed. Even Benjamin – the amateur he was – would be able to beat this guy. Probably.

Peter rolled his eyes and leaned away from the man's fowl breath, "Get some sleep Jimmy-boy, try again tomorrow when my kid brother can't beat you blindfolded."

The crowd around the table laughed and "Jimmy" turned bright red. He sent one last dark glare at Peter and Roy before stalking out of the pub with his frat buddies.

"Come on Benji! Let me get you a drink. You've been working on that beer for an hour!" Peter clapped one hand on Benjamin's shoulder while Roy grabbed the other one.

"I'm not really a big drinker guys …."

Roy laughed, "You're like the size of a grizzly bear dude! A little bit a whisky won't get you smashed!"

He glanced between his first two friends on the West Coast, both of whom were smiling Cheshire smiles.

Benjamin promptly caved to peer pressure.

College was supposed to be all about new experiences, but so far Benjamin had avoided anything that was too far out of his normal, everyday routine. That routine tended to avoid alcohol, mostly because it was a definite 'no' in his family. He had heard every sort of argument under the moon that his parents and older sisters had ever made against drinking. Except, don't ask him to repeat them right now since he couldn't remember a damn word.

Two beers and three shots later, all six foot nine inches were sprawled across a green booth seat. The flashing lights in the corner of his eye were the only things he could focus on. Benjamin was definitely … "Drunk."

"Huh?" Roy lifted his head from his arms where he had commandeered the end of the booth at the wall and was enjoying an impromptu napping session for a couple minutes. Peter was slouched next to him, hogging a basket of French fries and sipping on a glass of water. Kori had finally pulled up a chair to rest her feet after a night of dancing and was working on a fruity drink the bartender had whipped up when she smiled at him. Rachel had reappeared and was squished into the corner of the booth by Benjamin's mass while sipping on a glass of water. The rest of Peter's group had gone their separate ways and left the five of them in the slowly emptying pub.

"I'm drunk," Benjamin repeated, "drunk as a skunk." Roy snickered into his hand. The redhead wasn't all that much more sober.

Peter shot him an amused look. "Skunks don't actually get drunk, lightweight. Try something different, like 'three sheets to the wind'."

"Maybe some British slang like 'sloshed' or 'befuddled'," Roy added.

"I have enjoyed the expression 'under the table' after I finally understood what it mean," Kori joined in, pointing to a young man who had fallen asleep under the table across from them.

"Fine …" Benjamin whined, "I'm fucking plastered."

His four companions stared at him.

Peter broke the silence first when he burst into laughter, Roy joined in, Rachel rolled her eyes at them, and Kori smiled knowingly. She reached over and rested her orange-toned hand on his pale white arm. "Perhaps we should get you to bed before you pick up anymore of Peter's bad habits."

If his brain wasn't as fuzzy, Benjamin would have been surprised by Kori's strong grip and the amount of his weight she took as she helped him stand. However, Benjamin was a little too preoccupied with the way the room tilted. Somehow remembering he had a tab to pay, Benjamin pulled out his wallet from the back pocket of his faded blue jeans.

Peter waved him off, "Don't worry about it. I have it covered."

"Thanks man! We'll see you outside!" Roy cheered. Kori followed him out the door but Benjamin hesitated. He never had enough money anymore but he didn't want to feel like a charity case.

"Seriously Benji, I got this cash from the pool game so chill 'kay? I asked you to come out so I should pay. I'll meet you out there."

Feeling like he'd been scolded, Benjamin shuffled out the door. He had to duck a bit so his head didn't hit the low door frame. The air was still a comfortable warm temperature although night had fallen several hours ago. The fresh air helped clear his head and he managed not to stumble down the stairs. Rachel, Roy, and Kori were lounging around a light post, several meters away from the door and the circle of smokers.

"Peter had a hard time quitting smoking," Roy explained at his questioning look, "it's easier if he stays away from the smell."

Peter was an ex-smoker, Roy liked to drink a lot, Rachel was a Goth, and Kori was a sex symbol. Oh man, his parents would have freaked out if they still cared who his friends were.

"'Kay guys, let's go!" Peter appeared at Benjamin's shoulder, giving the young man a minor heart attack. "Sorry," Peter smirked when he noticed Benjamin clutching at his chest.

"What are you, a ninja?" he wheezed.

"How'd you guess? Being a ninja is actually my life's ambition," Peter smoothly replied.

"Well, you are well on your way to succeeding."

Kori giggled in front of them as they walked toward the residence center of campus. Roy ignored them as he scratched at his arm and then fiddled with something under his jacket's sleeve.

"This thing is itchy!" he whined. There were several 'clack' sounds before an arm was shoved into Benjamin's chest. He held the arm with as much care as if he was holding road kill, wondering if there was something in his drinks tonight. Peter's smirk was closer to a toothy grin at his expression but Roy ignored them both completely as he scratched at the stub of his right arm.

"Mmmm …" he groaned, "that hits the spot."

"Roy, sometimes I wonder if you're half dog," Peter joked.

"Shut it man! I can't wait until my new arm is finished. This one doesn't fit right and it doesn't read the motor neurons for the ring and pinky fingers correctly. They do they exact opposite of what I want them to do!"

"It's a proto-type Roy," Peter admonished. He picked up the arm from Benjamin's loose grip and wiped the opening above the elbow with a grey cloth. "It's bound to have some kinks. You're supposed to get the new model next week, so chill."

"Yeah, I know. I hate waiting though," Roy reattached the arm and it blended seamlessly into his skin. The fingers flexed and inflexed but subconsciously Benjamin noticed that the ring and small finger did the opposite to the others. "Dammit!"

"Maybe it's not the arm that's defective," Rachel drawled from beside Benjamin. Roy shot a glare over his shoulder.

"Benji?" Kori interrupted before the two could break out in an argument, "Where are you living?"

Benjamin was still getting used to the nickname but he was really starting to like it. "I'm in Littleton Residence."

Peter made a face beside him, "That place is like … ancient! Doesn't it have communal showers?"

"Yeah, and it smells like moldy gym socks. I didn't have much of a choice since all of the scholarship kids get the cheap rez."

"Not cool."

As they cut through an alley to get to Goodall Street, two figures detached themselves from the shadows of one of the buildings. Several other people were standing at the other opening of the alley. Benjamin paled a bit when he realized that one of the buildings belonged to the Phi Beta Kappa fraternity, the exact same one whose members Peter and Roy were antagonizing before. The other four didn't look concerned so Benjamin tried to calm himself down. They were almost out of the alley when one of the guys spotted them. It was the same one with the buzz cut that reeked of alcohol and didn't exactly lose with dignity.

Of course, Peter and Roy shouldn't have rubbed it in.

"Hey there," he slurred, "I think you've got something of mine." His friends gathered around the small group and closed the exits on both ends of the alley. There were about seven of them.

Benjamin felt sweat dribble down the back of his neck and tried not to shudder as it hit one of _those_ spots on his back. The stress from the situation was making those spots grow and the feeling of cold steel spread across his chest and back. He gritted his teeth and focused on keeping the cold from creeping up to his face or his exposed hands. He had long ago learnt that it was better to pick and choose his battles rather than try and stop it all so he let the cold wash down his legs to his toes.

Although Benjamin was having an internal freak out, Peter was cool as a cucumber in the freezer. "Are you're talking about that money that you gambled and I won? 'Cause I spent it already. See! All gone! No more!" He held up both hands and waved them.

If Benjamin wasn't so consumed with his own problem he would have been impressed with Peter's ability to talk down to a linebacker sized fraternity guy like a dog. Roy snorted and crossed his arms while Kori rested her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. Rachel stared impassively at the men gathering around them. At the back of his mind, Benjamin knew he should be wondering why his four companions were so relaxed. However, he couldn't focus on much other than fighting the coldness that was now creeping up his neck.

Buzz-cut growled and charged at Peter. "You made me look like a fool!" he screamed and swung wildly at Peter's smirking face. Benjamin was so shocked by the sudden turn of events that he lost control for just a few seconds and felt his right hand become incased in the coldness. He subtly shifted his hand out of the streetlight and kept an eye on the enclosing circle of men.

He wasn't really surprised when Peter shifted to the side and watched Buzz-cut sail by him. The way Peter walked with such confidence just screamed out that he was someone who could take care of himself. The dark-haired boy grabbed the much bigger man's arm with both hands and shifted his weight in the direction the man had already been going. He redirected the momentum and twisted the man's arm down, sending Buzz-cut head-over-heels into a garbage bin.

"Eww!" Kori crinkled her nose and turned away from the sight of the man struggling out of the garbage bin.

Buzz-cut's buddies closed in and formed a tighter circle. Several of them held objects in their hands like lead pipes and broken beer bottles. They still kept a safe distance, unsure as to whether they should actually go through with it. Finally, one of the bigger guys raised his arm and swung at Peter. The streetlight reflected off the dirty metal surface of a crowbar as it travelled right towards Peter's face. Suddenly it stopped inches from his head. Confused, Benjamin's eyes followed the crowbar down to the man's arm where Peter had tightly gripped him at the wrist.

Peter's eyes were dark, an unknown emotion churned within them. A slow, cruel smile spread across his face as he pulled the taller man closer. He caught the other arm when it was wildly thrown at his body and leaned into the man's face. "Gonna beat me with a crowbar, huh? That's so old it's ancient. Let's try something new shall we?"

He pushed the man away but didn't release his hold on the arm with the crowbar and instead quickly twisted it until the audible snap of a broken wrist echoed throughout the alley. The man screamed and dropped the crowbar, staggering away from Peter. The rest of the men acted, swarming the small group of four.

Benjamin couldn't believe how wrong his night had gone as two guys rushed him. He had never been in a street fight before and was distracted enough that he forgot to control the cold metal feeling on his skin. One of the guys raised a wooden baseball bat above his head while the other one separated from them and went for Kori who was standing behind him. Benjamin wanted to help her but he became preoccupied when the baseball bat hit his shoulder. Not that he actually felt anything; it was more the explosion of wooden fragments in front of his chest that caught his attention.

The other man was still holding on to what was left of the handle of the bat, staring with furrowed eyebrows at Benjamin's chest, unable to comprehend what happened to the bat. Benjamin was unsure what to do now. He saw Roy sweep the legs out from under an opponent and Peter defy gravity by flipping over his opponent and then firmly planting his foot in the man's ass. Shrugging, Benjamin raised his right arm to where the streetlight reflected off the metal surface of what was once his skin. He hit the stunned man with an open hand as he didn't want to hurt the guy too much but still cringed when the guy flew several feet into a pile of recycling and lay still.

Not five seconds later, the man who had gone after Kori also took a nosedive into the recycling. Benjamin turned to see unruffled Kori brush imaginary dirt off her outfit. So Peter had some wicked mixed martial arts moves, Roy could kick ass while drunk and with one arm, Rachel had literally vanished, and Kori could throw a man ten meters without breaking a sweat. What had he got himself into?

Peter straightened after taking out the last of the inebriated frat guys. He dusted his hands off and nudged the man with the toe of his black leather boot. He didn't see buzz-cut drag himself out of the dumpster or see when he raised a handgun and point it at the middle of Peter's back. Kori and Roy didn't notice because they were too busy trying to get a chunk of glass out of the elbow of Roy's mechanical arm. Benjamin saw everything though. There was no way to get Peter out of the way but Benjamin could interrupt the line of fire. With two large steps he jumped in the line of fire just as Buzz-cut pulled the trigger.

There was an echo of metal rebounding off metal hidden underneath the sound of gunfire and the bullet was buried in the brick of the building a couple inches behind Buzz-cut's head. The man's eye's widened in fear as Benjamin stalked towards him. The 6'9" man looked less like a shy freshman and more like an angry meta-human with metal coated skin. Buzz-cut's hands trembled and he nearly dropped the gun because of his sweaty hands. He tried to force his finger back to the trigger but it wouldn't obey as the monster bore down on him. A metal hand reached out to grab the barrel of the gun and crushed it between his thumb and a finger. He seized the gun as Buzz-cut let it slip from his grasped and a screech of twisting metal indicated that the rest of the gun was no more than a mess of twisted metal.

The monster spoke, his voice was clear but cold, "That's enough."

Overwhelmed, Buzz-cut's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fainted, falling back into the dumpster.

Benjamin stared down at the twisted gun in his hand; avoiding eye contact with the people he had begun to consider as his friends. Footsteps echoed behind him and he watched as Peter leapt gracefully onto the edge of the dumpster and wiggled the bullet out of the brick wall. Peter thoroughly examined the bullet for a few moments and turned to eye Benjamin. His eyes lingered on the brown-haired man's exposed hands, the small bullet-sized hole in his shirt, and then his face which was still coated in a metal layer of skin.

"So …" Peter started. He pocketed the bullet and hopped off the dumpster, striding right up to Benjamin, "You've got a neat little trick there."

Although he felt uncomfortable with the interrogation, his metal skin layer began to seep back into his skin and left him feeling extremely vulnerable of Peter's sharp teal eyes. Rachel appeared in the corner of his vision. The gun now felt like a heavy weight in his hand. Peter, Roy, Rachel, and Kori were the first people in a long time who were accepting of him so it was only fair that he offered them an explanation.

"Yeah, I guess …. I, uh, discovered this … ability … around March when I tossed a classmate through a wall."

Peter smirked at the answer. Roy and Kori had moved to flank Benjamin on both sides but he wasn't feeling confined. "What did this classmate do or say to piss you off so much?"

Benjamin felt his face heat up and he was sure that his ears were turning bright red. "I was sick of his homophobic slurs."

"So you threw him through a wall," Kori raised an eyebrow while Roy snickered into his hand, "I thought that I had a bad temper."

"It wasn't like that!" Benjamin burst out, "I spent my entire life stuck in an Orthodox Jewish school with kids who were afraid of anyone different than them and parents and siblings who kept trying to 'save me'! How can I be so wrong if I feel so right when I'm myself? I was sick and tired of being treated like … like … an animal!"

All four looked taken aback by his passionate outburst. "So, I wasn't imagining you staring at my ass tonight?" Peter wondered.

Benjamin dropped his face in his hand and murmured, "crap" while Kori laughed.

Finished laughing at his expense, Roy asked, "What did they do after your _conversation_ with your classmate?"

"Nothing," Benjamin answered, "I'm a big guy but that would require an act of strength beyond human abilities. Also, the other guy got a level two concussion and had retrograde amnesia so he couldn't remember the entire event. I guess I was lucky he decided to confront me by himself and not with his usual posse."

"How's your control over your ability?" Peter asked.

Benjamin shrugged, "I just suppress it since all I can do is hurt people."

Peter narrowed his eyes and Kori shook her head beside him, "You just saved me from getting a bullet in the back."

"But look at them!" Benjamin gestured to the frat boys who were still lying unconscious around them.

"That wasn't all you, man," Roy lightly punched his arm. "In fact, we did most of that. What you did is defend yourself and save me from have to dig out a bullet from my arrogant best friend's shoulder."

"I don't understand!" Benjamin yelled at the same time Peter disagreed with the classification of "arrogant."

"Benji," Kori gripped his shoulder with one hand and took off her sunglasses with the other. Staring at him were two completely glowing green eyes. There was no evidence of an iris or a pupil in either eye but they were still the most expressive eye he had ever seen. Concern shone through and she lightly cupped his jaw with one hand. Her hand was unusually warm against his skin.

"You are a beautiful person, Benji. Although you only met us today, you wanted to protect us so much that you let what you fear most take over. It is not something to fear. Just like you cannot change who you love, you cannot change who you are. The warmth that roars through my veins is a part of me just like the armor that hides under your skin and these parts should be celebrated. I can help you control your ability, but only if you want to."

Benjamin felt the walls crumble around his carefully protected heart. Here was someone different like him, someone who was offering to teach him. "You're not going to teach me how to suppress them are you?"

"No," Kori replied, "Suppressing them will only make it worse. Your powers are still developing and you need to learn how to use them properly or else they will control _you_."

"I believe that I can help you as well," Rachel glided over. Although he physically dwarfed the girl, he felt incredible small under her knowing stare, "Controlling fear and strong emotions is something I have great experience with. You are not weak by accepting our help."

"There is a group of us. Just a couple kids trying to figure out their place in the world," Peter added when he noticed Benjamin's hesitation wavering. "We're just a couple outcasts trying to do the right thing."

"Like the Justice League?"

Roy snorted, "We're nothing like those meddling sell-outs," he said disdainfully. "And we're not like their army of child soldiers."

Peter eyed Benjamin. "So are you in or out? We've got an extra room at our place that you can claim if you're all in or you can stop by every now and then for lessons."

"You guys aren't the villains are you?"

"We don't define ourselves in black or white. We're a little too grey for that. So yeah, we do some things that are against the law but we really just want to protect the innocent," Peter replied.

Benjamin glanced from one-armed Roy to the mysterious Peter to Kori's glowing green eyes to Rachel's shadowed figure. They knew he was gay and had trust issues but they still wanted him to join them. Isn't this what he has wanted for so long? Acceptance? He couldn't believe the change his life had made in one night. This would go against everything his Orthodox upbringing ever taught him and he'd be turning his back completely on that community by accepting his uniqueness.

Perhaps it was time to let go of who they wanted him to be. He never really fit in there anyways.

"I always thought the Justice League was too perfect. I'm all in."

Kori grinned brightly and leaned over to pull him into a crushing hug, Roy and Peter high-fived in the background and Rachel nodded with a small smile on her face.

"Kay, so one condition, dude," Roy interrupted.

"What," Benjamin asked warily.

"Ditch the whole 'Benjamin' thing. It has way too many syllables. You are now required to only go by Benji!"

"You guys are so weird …."

* * *

Yeah, I did it. I used an OC. I promise that he is not a Gary Stu! Actually, Benji based on someone I know who went through a similar experience and he just wedged himself in my head and wouldn't leave. I normally hate OC's but he's just a supporting character so I think that I'll like him.

I'll be taking a short break from writing (not a hiatus! Maybe two weeks or so). I just lost someone who was a big inspiration for me when I was younger and I really don't feel very creative right now. Reviews might help though!


	6. The Chuck Norris Experience

__Hi again! Thanks to That dorky blonde, Eby Mikaelson, and a lovely Guest reviewer! Your reviews motivated me to write much faster then I was expecting, so this one is for you guys!

I apologize in advance for any errors. I didn't go through my usual editing process for this chapter

_"It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone."_

-Rose Kennedy

* * *

**Chapter 6: Death Once had a near-Chuck Norris Experience**

The Watchtower

October 14, 16:55 EDT

Nightwing rested against the wall of the main conference room in the Watchtower. About half of the Team's members were gathered below him waiting for a briefing by Batman. Barbara caught his eye but Dick jerked his chin to the side to say that he wouldn't be joining them. He already knew what Batman was going to tell them.

"Nightwing!" Robin jogged over to his position, Rose following languidly behind him, "Are you here for training?"

Dick smiled, "I was thinking about hanging around for a bit."

"Good," Rose said, her accent less thick then a month ago, "Then you must spar with me."

"How can I say no to a request like that? Bring your best, Rosie."

Her smile was more teeth than necessary.

"Sounds interesting," said a young female voice from down the hall, "Can I join in?"

The girl walking towards them had the looks of an all-American girl. From her long golden blond tresses to her baby blue eyes and her slim, athletic figure, she looked like she belonged in a TV show about teenage American life. However, she was far from American. In fact, she was from a whole galaxy away.

Kara Zor-El introduced herself to her cousin a little over a month ago. For Superman, discovering that he wasn't the only remaining Kryptonian was something of a double-edged sword. He was given the chance to learn about his biological family but he also had the responsibility for taking care of his cousin while she adjusted to Earth. Unfortunately, the blond haired, blue eyed teenager had no interest in obeying Kal-El, especially because he was born 17 years after her on Krypton. Nightwing would be a bit shocked too if he had a baby cousin who suddenly aged 38 years and then tried to boss him around. She was angry and brash most of the time but the League understood that to her, the destruction of Krypton and her family was only a month ago.

She was a natural with her abilities and confident when using them, but that only seemed to make Batman even more nervous. Nightwing could also see the jealousy brewing under Connor's skin with all the attention Kara has been receiving from the Superman family. His temper has rarely been in check around her and in return, Kara treated Connor as non-existent and constantly belittled him. She had yet to join the team officially because Superman worried if her control over her powers would hold during the stress of Team missions. Nightwing knew that the other problem was Batman. He just didn't trust her.

"Hey, Kara," Nightwing greeted, "Stopped by for a visit?"

The blond smiled at him and stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets, "Yeah, I am officially out of quarantine. I am not sure why I had to be quarantined anyways since I was on Earth for several days before I found Kal."

Robin shrugged, "It makes Batman less gloomy."

Kara rolled her eyes, "Oh … him. I don't think he likes me very much."

"He doesn't like most people," Robin held out his hand, "Just call me Robin. This is Rose and I think you've met Nightwing? We're all on the Team."

"So I've heard," she shook Robin's hand and smiled at Rose, "Kal won't let me join yet. He says he just wants me to adjust to Earth life but I think it's because Mister Tall-Dark-and-Paranoid doesn't want me in his little army. So instead I'm stuck on a farm in Kansas."

"He is being a bit weird with that," Nightwing scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "I swear, he's normally more logical."

Kara hummed in agreement while her eyes wandered across the gathering of young heroes and sidekicks. She scowled at one in particular.

Nightwing raised an eyebrow at Superboy's dark look he sent towards Kara. The two were bordering on hostile; their chilled relations turning frosty after Superman let Kara into his Fortress of Solitude up in the Artic.

"Don't worry about Superboy, he'll come around," Nightwing reassured.

"The Clone's jealousy doesn't bother me," the blond scoffed. Nightwing and Robin winced as Superboy's glare darkened. Rose smirked and eagerly watched the glaring contest between the Kryptonian and the half-Kryptonian. At least until a bubbly, blond Amazon latched onto Robin's arm.

"What are you doing over here?" Wonder Girl shot Rose a glare who only rolled her eyes in response, "Come on!" She dragged her boyfriend back into the gathering of young heroes.

Rose crossed her arms, "Does she even know his real name?"

"I doubt it," Nightwing smirked at the drama around his younger brother figure, "He's not the type to break the Batman's rules."

Kara's expression was unreadable, "I heard there was a Robin that did." Rose waited for Nightwing's response.

Nightwing was saved from responding by Batman's timely entrance. The room quieted as he stood before the Team with Icon, the Green Lantern Hal Jordan, and Martian Manhunter

"The four of us with be returning to Rimbor for several days to complete peace negotiations between Earth and Rimbor. In my absence, there will be a rotation of teams patrolling Gotham. Nightwing, Batgirl, and Robin will lead these teams. Aqualad has already assigned the teams."

There was a short murmur of voices before Batman's glare restored order.

"While the Xenothium thefts will remain in high priority for the League, new information has been brought to my attention that is highly concerning," he gestured to the screens behind him where an image from Lex Luthor's presidential campaign was visible. "Although we suspected Luthor would run for Secretary-General of the United Nations, his late entrance into the Presidential race as an independent has been gaining support. His ratings have skyrocketed and just today Luthor announced his replacement at LexCorp if he is elected to the White House."

The picture changed to an attractive woman with mahogany hair and sun-kissed skin speaking to reporters at a news conference.

"This is Talia Head; her real name is Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul," Batman's face was impassive, "The Light has not been completely broken. The League will continue to monitor the situation. Until we have more information: be careful."

With his last words, Batman left the room followed by the other League members. Kaldur took over, barking out orders and handing out assignments to the Team. Kara disappeared without a word back down the hall when Rose and Nightwing joined the Team meeting.

* * *

Gotham City

October 15, 12:46 EDT

"Thanks for coming with me."

"Not like I had anything else to do."

"That's not something you're supposed to admit out loud."

"What? That I like peace and quiet?"

"No … That you have no life."

"Well, aren't you a charmer?" Raven rested her chin on her hand and fiddled with the leftovers of her salad, pushing them around with her fork.

"I try," her companion replied. Jason was polishing the fries off his plate while texting. It was a rare sunny fall day in Gotham City so the two of them were having lunch at a sidewalk restaurant in the heart of the city. Several families and couples surrounded the tables around them and a large group of office workers was loudly chatting near the entrance.

"So why are we here again?" Raven grumbled. She wasn't particularly comfortable in crowded spaces like a busy restaurant.

Jason didn't even look up from his phone when he pushed a pamphlet across the table, "Page four, the second item."

The pamphlet read Gotham Art Museum on the front cover and inside on page four there was a list of ancient Egyptian artifacts on loan from the Cairo Museum and the British Museum. The second item on the page was a metal battle mace from the Old Kingdom and has been dated to about 2500 BCE. The description underneath the image stated that scholars were in conflict about the legitimacy of the mace as all other Old Kingdom maces were wood and stone.

Raven raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "We're here because you're being a history geek?"

Jason finally looked at her, "Don't be an ass. Here," he fiddled with his phone and put it on the table next to the picture, "see anything similar?"

The image was of Hawkgirl flying into battle, her mace clenched between two hands. The similarities between the two maces were uncanny, "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"That it's Thanagarian? Yes I am. Back in my first life," Jason's mouth twisted and he ate a fry to hide his discomfort. Raven sipped from her cooling herbal tea while she let him calm down. "Anyways, there was this big issue in the League about the weapon. They had to negotiate with the Egyptian government and the archeologist team to keep its origins quiet. In return, the government could keep the mace but it was not to be subject to any testing."

Raven handed back his phone, "So what do you want it for?"

"It's not for me, it's for Benji."

Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Well, at first we thought his ability was a mutation of the skin cells into an iron alloy. I thought it was interesting that a diagnostic on the metal revealed that it was high-speed steel, which is commonly used in power tools. Benji worked with his father in carpentry during the summer where he would have come in contact with the metal. Remember how I had him handling a piece of steel for three days? Well, two days ago he managed to change his skin into a type of maraging steel which is one of the strongest types of steel in the world."

"How come no one told me?"

"You were in your room. No one wants to bother you when you're having _alone time_. Anyways, I don't know if this will work. He hasn't responded to rhenium diboride but probably because it's a synthetic material. Nth Metal is not of Earth and it doesn't possess any Earth metals, but I figured it was worth a shot."

"Unless it kills him," Raven scowled across the table but waited to finish her point until the waitress left with their plates, "Does he know what you're doing?"

"Yes," Jason leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, "He's aware of the properties of Nth Metal, such as its weightlessness and presumed magical abilities like healing and increase of strength."

"Like any boy would pass up a chance for super-strength," Raven rolled her eyes, "Benji is crushing on you. Like he'd say no to anything you suggest."

Jason thanked the waitress for the bill and pulled out his wallet, "You need to do some more research on human emotions, Rachel. He's not thirteen with raging hormones. He has better control over himself and his actions than most 18 year olds. If you're worried, just talk to him."

"Have you at least told him that you're not interested?"

"I haven't said jack shit and I'm not going to," Jason pulled his mirrored sunglasses back over his eyes and stood up "I need to keep some mystery."

Raven followed his lead, "You just like having people fawn over you."

Jason snorted and strode towards the exit of the patio. They paused by the table of office workers while waiting for a young family to gather their baby's stuff. Their conversation floated over to the teenagers.

"… We need more foster parents like Bruce Wayne. Look at what he's done! Applications to be foster parents has risen 20% among the middle class!"

A balding man with a mustache shook his head, "Please! Remember when Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt adopted all those babies from foreign countries? Foreign adoption exploded into this huge business and majority of those parents were not ready just like these middle class families. They're just expecting to get the next Richard Grayson!"

"Come on, Felix! He's even taking care of the Drake kid. I'd say he's done a decent job."

"You're forgetting about Jason Todd," the men looked up at the dark-haired teenager standing beside their table, a Goth girl with pale skin and straight, shoulder length black hair staring impassively from behind him.

"What?"

"Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear. You were talking about Wayne's parenting skills and his charming foster kids. You forgot one though."

"Wait," Felix said, "Who's Jason Todd?"

"You were in Fawcett City when Wayne took in his second foster kid. He was a street kid with a juvie record. He had the kid for about two and a half years before he ran away and died in a terrorist bombing in Ethiopia."

"What are you so interested, boy?" another man asked.

"Jason Todd was a good friend of mine," the teenager replied, "and he didn't just run away. He was looking for his mother."

A man snorted, "Whatever you say. Wayne did the best he could with that one, but he's no miracle worker."

"Hey!" Felix snapped. He turned back to the teenager, "Did you know him well?"

"We were two peas in a pod," the teenager smirked.

"So he must have said something about his home life?" Felix questioned. He ignored the groans from his colleagues and pulled out his notepad; this was what a social worker should be doing.

"Sure. He mentioned that Richard Grayson wasn't much of a brother and that Bruce Wayne was hardly ever at home. When he was it was often with some pretty girl who he never introduced to Jason. Pretty much the only one he didn't have a problem with was the butler."

"So … he wasn't happy?" Felix asked.

"My perspective as an outsider looking in, he needed a parent and he wanted Wayne to take that role but I don't think Wayne knew how to be a father. I think that's why he went looking for his mother," the teenager shifted, "I have to go."

"Wait! What's your name?"

The teenager's eyes were hidden behind his fancy Oakley sunglasses, "Peter Haywood. Have a good day."

The two teenagers left the restaurant and it was only when they were out of sight that Jason stumbled into an alley and rested against the brick wall. He pulled off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes. Raven waited patiently until he straightened and put his sunglasses back on.

"Right … sorry about that. Let's go, I need to get ready for tonight."

The half-demon reached out and grabbed his hand before he could walk away, "Jason, I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked.

"For everything that has ever hurt you. Just know that if you ask, I can take it all away. All the pain that bears your rage, it can disappear if you ask."

Jason was silent for a moment, "I'll think about it, I might take you up on that offer."

Raven released his hand, "I will be waiting. Now tell me, what was this about Batman being out of town tonight?"

Jason's shoulder's relaxed, "Apparently he's going to Rimbor with a Green Lantern, Icon, and the Martian to complete peace negotiations. I'm not sure how much he'll be able to help. He will probably spend the entire time brooding in the background like an emo teenager …."

* * *

Gotham City

October 16, 03:14 EDT

Most thieves would have been gone by now. He should probably be half way across the country using one of his numerous fake passports. Instead, the mace was stored away safely and Batman's tracking device was planted on a Canada goose migrating south as the temperatures cooled. The Gayer-Anderson Cat was delivered to Selina Kyle as thanks for her warning. She will admire it for a few days then give it back to the museum. Several other small knick-knacks were dumped in a gang-banger's safe house that was about to be raided by the Gotham police.

So why wasn't Jason running back to Jump City with a very expensive piece of ancient Egyptian history? In short: he was observing and waiting. Red X had parked himself on the roof of a decrepit old building while he watched members of the Team battle it out with Clayface. There was Superboy, Bumblebee, Beast Boy, the new girl Rose, and Robin. All five of them were failing spectacularly against the shape-shifting Matt Hagen, a former member of the League of Shadows.

From what he had gathered, Clayface had jumped the Team in revenge for the loss he had incurred several months ago. He waited until they had exhausted themselves fighting some of the Penguin's men before making his move. He may not have been the best assassin from the League of Shadows, but Hagen knew how to use their teachings to his advantage.

The comm buzzed in his ear, "Red X, what are you doing?" He touched the comm to reply.

"No need to worry, Raven. I'm just going to help these guys catch up to my plans."

"And that means …?"

Jason smirked behind his mask, "It means that my face was supposed to be splashed across most wanted pages two weeks ago. I guess I underestimated how good I am."

"Wow …" Raven drawled, "You are so very humble and modest."

"I try. Anyways, I'm going have to get involved here before Clayface suffocates the Replacement," The mutated human was smothering Robin in mud. While Superboy and Rose were still fighting, their efforts had no effect on Clayface's body. Beast Boy and Bumblebee had long since been taken out of the fight. "You still near the meeting place?"

"Yes. If you need help, just ask."

Jason eyed the cryogenics laboratory down the road that Mr. Freeze once used as his headquarters, "I'll let you know. Red X out." He cut the connection and fiddled with the switches in his gloves. "Time to play!"

Red X leapt down from the building and shot X shaped explosives from the Xenothium powered technology in the palms of his suit. The two explosives sunk into Clayface's back and went off simultaneously, turning half the man's body into a mud puddle. He roared and pulled away from Robin with the idiot's utility belt half consumed by Hagen's mud. Great, so Plan B it was.

"Wow! Gotham's got some ugly motherfuckers! Didn't your momma ever tell you that it's not very nice to suffocate your playmates in the sandbox? Then again, you have a face that not even a mother could love!"

Really, he should have known better than to use a mother insult, but sometimes his mouth took the plunge before his brain could catch up. Clayface rushed at him and Red X vaulted over a dumpster before racing down the deserted street. He dodged behind a parked car while he booted up his code breaker computer. While the computer searched for the digital code to open the cryogenic lab's door, he could hear Clayface searching through the rows of parked cars and dumpsters looking for him. The code breaker identified the passcode before the man sunk his extended arm down onto the hood of the car Red X was hiding behind.

He bolted for the open door and disappeared into the darkness of the room before Clayface burst in.

"Come out, come out where ever you are…" Clayface growled. He followed the dimly lit hallway to an open vault door with a reinforce window. The room inside was cold, small, and covered entirely in metal. A jerk at his mid-section directed his attention to Robin's utility belt being tugged out of his body by a thin wire.

"NO!" Clayface roared, but it was too late. The belt disappeared through the open door just before it slammed shut. Multiple clicks of locking mechanisms echoed throughout the room and the hiss of gas entered the room. A skull appeared in the window.

"This is a cooling chamber used by Mr. Freeze." The skull mocked, "Can you get out fast enough before it turns you into a Popsicle?"

Clayface smashed his body against the door and the walls. But his movements slowed as ice built up across the muddy surface of his body. Red X didn't hang around to watch and escaped the building out the back exit, turning around in a wide loop back to the entrance he used. The defeated members of the Team were gathered outside the building discussing possible routes of attack. Beast Boy and Bumblebee were awake but still shaken; all five of them were covered head to toe in mud.

Red X dropped in behind them.

"Hey, Dipshits."

Jason particularly enjoyed the expression of surprise on their faces at his sudden appearance. The Replacement's eyes narrowed when he waved the dirty utility belt around.

"That's mine, thanks," The Replacement held out his hand. Red X continued to swing the belt.

"I was not impressed with your execution. That was sloppy and disappointing. I expected more."

"Why?" the younger boy asked.

"Aren't you Robin number three? You have a lot to live up to and I don't think you can."

"Hey!" Beast Boy jumped forward and jabbed a finger at Red X, "Robin is doing a great job! He's a real hero!"

"Who are you to say anything?" Superboy growled in agreement.

"Me? I'm just an interested party," Red X pretended to relax his stance and gave his tone a playful sound.

Bumblebee stepped forward, "What is your name? Are you a hero?"

Red X tilted his head in amusement, "Hero? That's a loaded word. I'm James P. Sullivan, but you can just call me Sulley."

"Ha-ha. Very funny wise guy. Give us a real name."

"Chuck Norris."

Superboy growled in annoyance but Rose held him back. Her eyes gleamed in amusement, "Leave it, he will not say."

"Is it really so hard to believe I'm Chuck Norris?"

"Isn't he like, 80 years old or something?" Beast Boy wondered.

"I'm Chuck Norris. I defy the laws of physics!"

"Well … uh, Chuck?" Robin said, "Thanks for helping us. Can I have my belt back now?"

"Oh? You misunderstood," Red X dropped the yellow belt on the ground at his feet and stepped back, readying the trigger on his left pinky finger, "I wasn't helping you."

"What-?"

"I was helping me," he activated the trigger and felt the jerk of his body as the teleportation technology took hold, "Later, Birdbrain!"

Red X disappeared from sight.

* * *

He was late; much too late. He never answered her calls. Raven pulled on her cloak and left the apartment, heading down the deserted street. She looked carefully at each human form lying in boxes and behind garbage cans. Most were sleeping, some were far too still.

It was in Crime Alley that she found him. He was slumped against a brick wall covered in graffiti, his mask loosely dangling from his fingers. She stared down at him but Jason didn't acknowledge her. His eyes were staring at the wall across from him, but his mind was elsewhere. Instead of the rage that he was normally seeped in, a crushing pain radiated from his body. It was the kind of pain that could consume a person entirely. Raven's logical mind was telling her to run far away.

She sat down next to him and waited.

He finally broke his silence as the sky above them turned orange from the rising sun.

"I … didn't think it would hurt that much," his voice was raspy but the tone was broken.

Raven could not reply as she was crushed under his powerful emotions.

"It's just- it's …. Seeing someone else in my uniform …." He broke off and buried his face in his arms, his shoulders shaking. He wasn't crying, not yet. His voice was muffled when he spoke again, "Why am I here? Why am I alive again? They've moved on without me. They have _him_ now."

"Is that not what humans have to do eventually?" Raven reasoned.

"But so soon?" Jason's eyes were bright and gleamed in the darkness of the alley, "I thought I was his son! He adopted me while Nightwing was still just his ward! Does that not mean anything?"

"I can't pretend to understand the Batman's mind," Raven's voice was calm and collected, "You once said that he became Batman because his grief was so crippling, it was the only way he could function. Perhaps by bringing in a new Robin he tried to ease his grief over your death."

Jason snorted disdainfully, "Yeah, with a kid who's my opposite in every way. He's rich, a genius, cautious, polite, and trusting. Everything I'm not."

"He's not driven to better himself like a former street kid; he's too careful that he can't improvise; polite just means that he never says what he's thinking; being open to others shows that he has never been hurt," he finally looked at her, "You underestimate yourself. We're with you, not him."

His smile was strained, "Thanks."

"Are you going to give up? Are you done with this crusade?" She asked.

"No!" Jason snapped, "I'm no coward! It's just … it hurts."

"Then let me take away some of your pain," he eyed her but didn't move away. "You share stories with Koriand'r and release your frustration in spars with Roy. Let me be a friend and share the burden of your pain for a short time. Spill out your pain, Jason."

Her hands reached out to his head and he closed his eyes, allowing her to take away his pain

* * *

That giant stone boulder is starting to move. It just needs one giant push to send it tumbling down the mountain through the fire!

Summer is coming to an end :( So that means my updates will slow considerably as work, school, and other things are all piled on top of me in one giant heap of junk (I'm sure you guys know what that feels like). I'll try to get one more update in before September. Reviews or PMs will definitely help motivate me ;) Ask me a question or send me a comment. If you've logged in, I'll be happy to reply!


	7. To Burn Like a Starfire

"All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust."

J. M. Barrie, _Peter Pan_

* * *

**Chapter 7: To Burn Like a Starfire**

Jump City

October 25; 14:03 PDT

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Not even a little bit?"

"Well …." Benji glanced down at the Thanagarian battle mace hidden inside his backpack. The artifact was clearly old and worn but still in good condition and had been well preserved. He rubbed his thumb over one of the metal spikes and closed his eyes. His training with Kori and Raven had helped him realize that his powers were all about feeling. Raven taught him that powerful emotions like fear could jumpstart his abilities as he had already realized, but a calm mind could get him control over his powers. Kori taught him that just like she could feel the sun on her skin, he could feel the metal in his hands. He could feel the way some metals were more compact than others, others were looser and more flexible. The metal of this mace however, was different.

"How do I describe it? It's like … each piece of metal is speaking to me. This one though, I can't understand," Benji removed his hand from the mace.

"So what?" Jason raised an eyebrow and doodled on his notebook. "You need a translator?"

"I don't know … Maybe? I just don't like it. There's something about it that makes me … uncomfortable."

Jason's doodles were quickly taking over the page, "What? Is it harassing you? Making suggestive comments?"

"No," Benji rolled his eyes at Jason and zipped up his backpack, hiding the mace from view. "It's not natural. I guess it bothers me."

The shorter young man gave him an unimpressed look, "Duh! It's from Thanagar! Of course it's going to seem unnatural to you."

"Well … Whatever," Benji scowled at his pathetically scarce lecture notes for the day. He should really stop sitting next to Jason, it made for poor concentration. "I still don't like it."

Jason opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by an amused voice from the front of the hall.

"Mr. Haywood," Professor Fisher was staring up at them from where he had been lecturing the world history class at the front of the room. His eyebrows would have disappeared into his hairline if he hadn't already shaved his head. "Is there something you and your friend would like to say?"

"Only that we are terribly sorry for interrupting you, Professor," Jason sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"May I continue?"

"Please." Jason went back to doodling in his notebook and Benji tried desperately to salvage his lecture notes.

They left the lecture hall almost a half hour later with their graded essays in hand. Benji couldn't decide what was worse: discussing the battle mace or his history grade.

"78? I can't keep my scholarship if I get grades like this! Even if it's only my elective," Benji desperately flipped through the pages, feeling disheartened by the amount of comments the T.A. had made. "What did you get?"

"94. Here, analyze to your heart's pleasure," Jason shoved his paper into Benji's hands and strolled into the student convenience store. Benji leaned against the white-washed wall and compared his introductory paragraph to Jason's, taking mental notes of improvements he could make for their next essay assignment. It was kind of hard to be jealous of Jason's grades, the guy only had two classes and both were in his not-so-secret passion of history. On the other hand, Benjamin was a sociology major and only signed up for the history course to fulfill an elective requirement.

Benji jerked when a body appeared too close in his peripheral vision, "I hate when you do that!"

"Not sorry," Jason was flipping through the Jump City Citizen newspaper. "I made page nine."

"What?" the newspaper was shoved in his face. Benji's eyes focused on a headline at the bottom of the page: Gayer-Anderson Cat Stolen from Gotham Art Museum. He frowned when the article was pulled away. "Hey! At least let me read what it says!"

"I'll read it, dumbass. Just start moving. Roy should be here soon to pick us up."

"No need to call me names," Benji grumbled. He shoved the two essays in his bag and started walking with Jason through the crowd.

"I say it with complete and total affection. Right, so it says the cat statue was stolen along with several other Egyptian artifacts. Bat-ass probably told them to be vague and not mention the mace at all. Police are still investigating. Which means they have no suspects," Jason pulled out the local news section and started skimming the headlines.

"But wouldn't they go after your friend? What's-her-name?"

"Oh, I'm sure the Bat tried that," that smirk was devious. "Unfortunately, she was quite publically working Gotham's elite for donations to the Humane Society at the mayor's gala. She can't possibly be in two places at once, being human and everything."

Benji was very amused, "You've really considered everything."

"How else does a regular human survive the game of superhero life? By keeping multiple steps ahead of everyone else and daring them to catch up."

They both looked up when a shiny black Toyota Highlander honked across the parking lot. Benji waved at the driver while Jason complained about impatient redheads.

"Move it, losers!" Roy called across the parking lot.

Benji's face was bright red from the looks his fellow students gave them, as if it was their fault that the obnoxious driver was on campus. Of course, it was their fault, but he wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of knowing that. Instead, Benji ducked his head and hurried after Jason who was already hurling insults at their driver.

Benji gratefully heaved himself into the front passenger seat while Jason slipped into the back. The tall man ignored his friends while he adjusted the seat so it would fit all six feet and nine inches of him comfortably.

Roy was chattering on about some new robots he was designing, the so-called 'Roybots'. Even Jason looked like the conversation was over his head. There was way too much engineering and techie talk.

"You two need a crash course in engineering. Seriously, where would you be without me?" Roy turned the car into the gated community and waved at the guard to open the gate.

"Of course, Roy. Your genius at creating some of the most bizarre weapons I ever thought possible keeps this team going. We would be up the creek without a paddle if we didn't have you," Jason murmured.

"Your sarcasm is not appreciated, asshole," the redhead shot back. The houses thinned as they drove closer to the waterfront and large, multi-million dollar mansions took their place. The trees thinned and the smell of salt water breezed into the car from the open windows, tall grasses blowing between the lines of well-manicured lawns belonging to the excessively wealthy. At the very end of the road was a mansion perched on the rocky cliffs of the peninsula. Its huge glaring windows looked out over the crystal clear Pacific Ocean and the long strip of private beaches along the length of the peninsula.

Roy leaned through his open window and punched in the security code to the driveway's gates. They all knew that the security code would not stop people similar in occupation to them, but it did make the mansion feel that much more extravagant.

The Toyota pulled in next to Jason's red and black BMW motorcycle and Kori's purple G37 Infiniti convertible. Benji still wasn't sure where the money for the house and all the expensive vehicles came from, but he wasn't going to complain about his beautiful new living pad. Although he was a little curious about how much money the underground training facility had cost and where that money came from.

The stench of sweaty gym socks wafted into the hall from the kitchen. All three boys paused and wrinkled their noses. Jason covered his nose and mouth with his hand and bravely plunged into the kitchen.

"What on Earth are you cooking, Kori?"

The alien redhead turned around and waved joyfully at the boys in the doorway. She continued to stir a large pot of bubbling vomit green goo with her other hand. There was a pile of green slime on the counter that moved suspiciously.

"I am making a traditional Tamaranian stew with Spudlings. I was not certain if it would work with human cook wear, but I seem to be doing alright," she scooped up one of the piles of slime which wiggled in her grasp. Benji could've sworn he heard it squeal in pain when she dropped it in the pot of boiling goop. "Would you like to try some when I'm finished?"

Jason backed away, one hand still covering his nose while the other was raised defensively, "You know how my stomach reacts to Tamaranian food. I'm going to skip out on this one." Their brave and fearless leader bolted from the room.

"Actually, Kori, I think I might have a stomach ache. Yeah … must have been that burrito I had for lunch. I'm just … gonna …." Roy also disappeared down the hall.

She looked at Benji.

"I don't think that I'm allowed to eat that," Benji eyed the moving slime as one of them attempted to escape behind the microwave. "It doesn't look very kosher."

"I do not understand," Kori picked up one of the piles of slime. It wiggled desperately in her hand before she slurped it down whole. "Spudlings are very rich in nutrients."

Benji backed out of the kitchen, "Maybe for Tamaranians. Sorry Kori, but I'm going to pass on the – uh – green slime thingies."

The orange skinned alien huffed as the tall man hurried from the kitchen, "Men!"

Two hours later, her Spudling stew finished and packed away for later, Kori went searching for some new entertainment. She found Raven and Benji in the living room. The half-demon had a thick, dusty book hovering in front of her while she sat cross-legged in the corner of the room. The meta-human was hunched over his massive textbook and highlighting sentences as he read.

"Is the kitchen aired out?" Raven's rolling drawl cut across the silence in the room. Benji jerked at the sound and glanced up.

"Yes," Kori sniffed. She turned away from their enquiring eyes, her lustrous purple lips turned down in a pout. "You humans are so boring with your food."

"We don't have stomachs of steel like you do Kori," Benji joked. "Wait, maybe I do? I never thought about that."

"Shove one of Roy's bombs down your throat and then we can find out," Raven gracefully swept to her feet and tucked the old tome under her deep purple cloak. She glided silently out of the room.

"She was joking right?" Benji asked the vibrant redhead.

"Yes, I believe so. She shares a similar sense of humor with Jason."

"Right …." Benji turned back to his book. "Just in case, I'll steer clear of Roy's workshop for a bit."

Kori moved towards the staircase to the basement but paused, "Have you seen Jason lately?"

The young man paused and chewed on the end of his highlighter, "Not since we got back a couple hours ago. Why?"

"No reason." Kori headed down the stairs. Just beside the bottom of the stairs, she paused at a blank off-white colored wall. Holding her palm against a section of the wall, she waited until it glowed underneath her hand.

An androgynous voice spoke above her head, "Hello Beautiful." The wall shifted to the right and Kori stepped into a room covered from floor to ceiling in Roy Harper's inventions. Many of them were unfinished, such as the sleek bow and arrow system he had designed specifically for use with his mechanical arm or the wrist cuffs designed to enhance Kori's starbolts. Of course, she could already incinerate most items and majority of living beings. Such an invention was useless, but thoughtful and rather sweet.

Roy was laboring over a robotic lizard the length of Benji's arms. All around the desk were robotic sea lions, snakes, birds, even an octopus. He wore a pair of safety glasses and a blue baseball cap turned backwards on his head. He was carefully grinding down the metal skin of the lizard, his tongue sticking out as he concentrated.

The hum of the machine died down and Roy blew stray metal shavings off his robotic lizard. "What's up, Kori?"

"I was just curious about what you are working on," a strand of her long red hair tickled his neck when she leaned over his shoulder.

"These?" Roy spread the mechanical lizard out across his work bench. "These are the Roybots! Aren't they beautiful?"

"Yes, very much so. What do they do?"

"I originally designed these for the Arrow Cave. Yeah, stupid name, I know. Jason says that Oliver probably got the idea from Batman. Anyways, they are our first line of defense! I'll put some skins on them that will help conceal them outside and they will act as an alert system. They are also equipped with offensive capabilities to attack any intruder."

"Your genius knows no bounds," Kori gently ran a finger over the smooth metal hide of the Roybot. "And if the intruder is simply someone running along the beach?"

"Uhhh…. Hmm, good point. I didn't think of that. Jason runs every morning doesn't he?"

"Yes, and he would be most upset if attack by a robotic octopus before eight in the morning."

"Jaybird can handle a Roybot but he'd probably slice open my throat with a shuriken, wouldn't he? I guess I should fix that. If only for self-preservation …."

"Please do," Kori smiled and stepped back when Roy opened the back of the robotic lizard. "Have you seen Jason lately?"

"Nah, been down here since we drove in. Have you tried the gym or his office? The guy is a bit of a workaholic."

"Unlike others we know," Kori eyed Roy's collection of toys and gadgets pointedly but the teenager ignored her and focused on the mass of wiring inside his Roybot. "Do make sure you eat something."

"That's next on my to-do list."

Kori travelled down the hallway to the gym, the door to Roy's workshop sliding shut behind her. The basement was her favorite part of the house. It was carved into the sea cliff and using nature as a basis for a building was very similar to Tamaranian architecture. Kori enjoyed standing at the windows of the gym with bedrock bordering the edges, it reminded her of Tamaran.

The light coming through the gym doors was natural and cast a red glow across the hallway wall. She peeked in the room and was surprised to find Jason working away at the punching bag. His fists were fast and furious, hitting the softening bag in a complicated flurry of movement. Sweat dribbled down his face and soaked the neckline of his shirt. When Kori moved closer, she became concerned at the redness of his fists and the single minded focus that his eyes had on the bag. He was angry.

She only intervened when drops of blood started to splatter on the floor. Jason didn't fight when his hands were grabbed in a vice-like grip; he had exhausted himself long ago. Kori guided him over to the bench and sat him down next to a disorganized mess of papers and a balled up newspaper. The first-aid box was under the bench and she pulled two ice packs from the mini fridge to hold onto his swelling knuckles. A pad of gauze was taped over his knuckles on his right hand where the skin had split open.

"What is it that has made you so angry, my friend?"

Jason turned to look at the mess of papers scattered across the wooden bench. Kori shuffled through them with one hand. They were all police reports he had probably hacked from the Jump City Police Department and they all concerned cases of sexual assault and murder within the past four months. On the most recent reports were suggestions that the perpetrator may be the same person.

"He's killed again," Jason whispered, jerking his chin towards the balled up newspaper. "Another working girl. Her body was found positioned like the last two. This one was more violent though, he mutilated her before he killed her."

"You are upset that he is still at large?" Kori's warm hands ran up and down his taunt forearms, soothing the tension.

"Yes, and no," Jason admitted. "I'm more upset that the police haven't released any warnings to the public. They're hiding these murders as drug crimes and results of the girls' profession. That's not fair to the girls. They're innocent people just trying to make a living."

"Of course it is not fair. Is it not the job of your police to protect everyone?"

"Yes, but the Mayor wants them to keep quiet. He doesn't want to create 'unnecessary' panic in the general population. It would make him look bad in the last year of his term; apparently he's aiming for reelection."

"Your human politics confuse me," Kori admitted. She read over the printouts of emails sent between the Chief of Police and Mayor Hardy, her eyebrows furrowed the further down her emerald green eyes travelled. "On Tamaran, we must be open about all things good and bad. Tamaranians can prepare themselves if they know what is happening."

"Tamaranians are very logical, unfortunately humans are not. We are consumed by greed, guilt, vengeance, and all other selfish emotions. I'm a perfect example," Jason let the ice packs fall to the floor and he began gathering the papers. Kori sighed and leaned back against the wall, the conversation had ended and her friend was still stewing in his anger.

"You are beautiful, Jason, inside and out. I just wish that you could see it."

"I'm a mess," Jason wouldn't look at her while he fumbled with the papers, his hands were sore. "An ugly, emotional, zombie-like mess."

"Those are my favorite kinds," she pulled the shorter boy into a tight hug, not releasing him until she felt his body relax just a bit in her grip. "Now, please tell me that you have something for me to do? I am very bored."

"Actually, I do. I need you and Roy to meet with Professor Ivo in the northeast industrial district. He has apparently completed his work. We just need to collect it before he is returned to Belle Reve."

"What do we do with this item?"

"Bring it back here. I'm the only one who can make the next delivery."

Kori cocked her head to the side, "Why can I not do it?"

Jason smirked, "Although you are a near indestructible alien beauty, the recipient may be more receptive to a familiar face."

"Such as your own, I presume?"

"Exactly," Jason headed out the gym doors and up the stairs with Kori following. "I'm going to have Raven acting as backup for you if anything goes wrong. Benji will be observing. You and Roy can decide who will lead."

"Perhaps Roy should, he is more familiar with the city and Professor Ivo than I am," Kori caught a few papers that escaped when Jason slammed the pile on his desk in the office.

"Right, well, here's the information you will need. Ivo has already been paid half; the other half will come after the item has reached its final destination and is in working order. Not like he'll need the money right away, being stuck in Belle Reve and everything."

Kori scanned over the printed sheet Jason handed her, "What is this item that we are to obtain?"

Jason leaned back in his chair and rubbed at the back of his neck, "To be honest: I don't actually know. What I do know is that it's an important piece missing for a reactor designed to split Xenothium similar to nuclear fission."

Kori stared at him blankly.

"Don't have nuclear power on Tamaran? So lucky, it's very dangerous. They split Uranium or Plutonium at the atomic level to make two or three charged fragments which generates power. It also, however, generates a whole lot of dangerous waste material that cannot be used and sits in the earth for thousands of years."

"Okay," Kori nodded, processing the dumbed down explanation of nuclear power. "So why are we helping build this machine if it is so dangerous?"

"Because with Xenothium, it doesn't work the same. Trust me on this one, kay? It will turn out alright."

"I do trust you," Kori turned to leave the office but paused at the doorway. In the light of the sunset, she really was everyman's dream girl. Her skin nearly shimmered under the orange glow and her hair shone like rubies. The short Grecian inspired one-shoulder dress hugged her curvaceous body in all the right ways. Perhaps before his death, Jason would have been tripping over himself to get her attention. Now, his body was different, his thoughts were different, his interests were different. Kori was beautiful, but she was just a friend.

"Good," Jason swallowed thickly. It was strange and rare to have someone trust him so openly. Very few people had ever trusted him in his two lives. In fact, only Catherine Todd ever showed such open and honest trust in her son. It made Jason's heart clench. "Make sure Harper and the others eat something before you go. I have information that the Justice League is sending a squad to infiltrate a gang's headquarters in the exact same area. You could introduce yourself if you want."

"I will," Kori nodded. "You know, being trained by Earth's greatest detective, I'm sure that you could track down this murderer. You do have some time tonight."

Jason's smile was crooked.

* * *

Jump City

October 25; 23:36

Barbara Gordon landed hard on her shoulder, inwardly wincing at the pain as she turned her fall into a roll. She quickly jumped out of the way as Bane brought his fists down right where she had stopped not five seconds before. A growl ripped from his throat as he attacked, his fists moving in a complicated combination that took all of Batgirl's skills to avoid. She had body armor, but one direct hit from Bane could break a rib or two. The man was so pumped up on his strength-enhancing Venom that she should probably switch position with Blue Beetle. However, he was required to draw the sniper's fire while Bumblebee searched Bane's complex in Jump City's warehouse district. Beta Team had acted on information that Bane had collected some alien technology and was storing it on the West coast. Unfortunately, he was ready for them.

"Come on, little bat. Show me what you've got," Bane taunted. His massive form was bulky and appeared disproportioned, but his movements were quick and fast like a wrestler. It was Batgirl's first time taking on Bane and now she knew why Batman had such trouble with him. The man was quick on his feet and extremely skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Furthermore, he was smart and could match her step for step.

Barbara was feeling the pressure.

How on Earth had Dick managed this so efficiently? He was leading the Team, not showing signs of weakness, and taking on the bigger and stronger opponents that the meta-humans should've handled. Barbara had thought she could handle being a team leader. But now, as Bane's fist grazed her already injured shoulder and sent a flare of pain up her arm, she wasn't so sure.

When Batgirl hit the ground again, Guardian stepped up to take a swing at Bane. Instead, Guardian went sailing past her and hit the wall of the warehouse. Malcolm was better than most in combat, but he was nowhere near Bane's level.

"Blue!" Batgirl called into her comm. "We need some muscle over here."

Blue Beetle's answer was drowned out by the sound of gunfire. The men that Guardian was supposed to be handling were gathering behind Bane. They were beaten and bruised compared to their leader who looked fresh-faced and ready for another ten rounds.

Perhaps it was time to withdraw.

Just before the men reached Bane, a blast of red light hit them from the left. The men scattered and Bane dove to the pavement to avoid another blast.

"Come on, come on, come on!" called a familiar voice that made Batgirl pause. "Give me something more interesting to shoot at. I always rocked at the Ducking Duck fair games."

Roy Harper, the original one, strode out from behind the warehouse. His red hair was longer and shaggy on his head and he was just a bit taller than the last time she had seen him. The biggest change was his mechanical arm. It was almost entirely black except for the neon-red veins that ran throughout the arm and glowed slightly in the dark. The armor for the arm ran all the way up to his shoulder and strapped across the right side of his chest. Barbara noticed the difference immediately, the hand part of the arm reshaped itself to a sonic cannon and the further extension of the mechanical arm allowed Arsenal to control the kickback of the more powerful blast. She vaguely wondered where he got the new arm.

"Ah …. Little man with a big arm," Bane drawled. He stood up to his full height, towering over everyone in the area. Barbara winced in pain and held her shoulder as she shakily got to her feet. She wasn't sure if Arsenal's presence would help or hinder. "What if I break your arm?"

"Oh? I'm not taking you on," Arsenal shot another sonic blast at Bane's men, sending most of them to the ground. He gestured to someone behind Bane, "She is."

Bane turned and quickly went sailing through the brick wall of the warehouse. Barbara stared at the woman who sent Bane flying with one punch. She wore a one piece suit of purple armor, purple shoulder pads, armguards, and her legs were bare except for knee high armored boots. Her clothing barely hid her Barbie-shaped figure and orange toned skin. Barbara tried to suppress the slit twinge of jealousy that hit her gut.

The redheaded bat shuffled out of the way as Bane struggled out of the pile of bricks that had landed on top of him. He was no longer fresh-faced but bleeding and bruised. A trail of blood trickled down his chin.

Bane roared and charged the orange woman, aiming low with his shoulder forward. She swept him to the side with a flick of her fingers and her other hand closed in around his throat. She raised her arm up, just barely lifting the 6'8" man off the ground by his throat.

"For such a little girl, you are strong, _chica_," Bane gasped. One of his hands reached out for the orange woman's face. She gripped his wrist and twisted, a snap echoed throughout the street that was muffled by Bane's painful gasp.

"For such a big man," the orange woman's voice was sultry and smooth with an unidentifiable accent, "you are very weak, _chico_."

She dropped him. The second he hit the ground, her fist slammed into his head. Bane was unconscious before he hit the ground.

Blue Beetle dropped from the sky to Batgirl's right and a normal size Bumblebee help her boyfriend to his feet. Bane's hired help had vanished the moment they realized their boss was going to lose in the woman's show of strength.

"You are … uh, from Tamaran?" Blue Beetle stuttered, the Scarab chattering away in his head.

"Yes," the woman eyed the Hispanic with interest. Arsenal stood next to the woman and crossed his arms defensively. "Now I live on Earth. You know of Tamaran?"

"Only what my Scarab is telling me," Jamie shrugged. He jerked to the side in shock, "Stop talking about my hormones!"

Arsenal snorted, "Ignore him. He hears voices in his head."

Batgirl stepped forward. She was doing everything in her power to remain standing, "Who are you?"

"On my planet, it is common courtesy to introduce oneself before asking another's name," the woman mimicked Arsenal's stance and frowned in Batgirl's direction.

"I'm Batgirl. This is Blue Beetle, Bumblebee, and Guardian."

"In English, my name translates to Starfire."

"Right," Barbara realized that Starfire was unwilling to give her real name, copying her introduction of the squad. "So what are you two doing here?"

Arsenal shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, "This is our town. You guys were making an awful lot of noise. We want you to leave."

"Arsenal," Malcolm stepped forward and held his hands up. "Join the Team again. Starfire can come too. We've been doing some good work and we can always use more help."

Arsenal and Starfire exchanged glances. Batgirl did not like the look of amusement on both their faces. "Sorry Mal, but we've got our own thing," Arsenal shrugged and turned around. He and Starfire disappeared into the night, their red hair being swallowed up by the shadows.

Batgirl sunk to the ground.

* * *

Jump City

October 26; 02:10 PDT

The waning moon cast a dim light across the wooden dock. Ships of various sizes groaned as the waves rocked them side to side. The wind was picking up, blowing in from the ocean and bringing a salty flavor to the air. The seagulls were silent for once, resting their wings to prepare for a new day of scavenging.

A dark figure, clad all in black and gray except for the white skull mask, stood casually in the shadows of a maintenance shed. He had been standing there for over a half hour, watching the dock for his client.

The swish of wind and the whirring of metal were the only warnings he had before a half dozen shuriken buried into his back and head. With a sickening thump, his body fell to the ground and the rusty smell of blood penetrated the air.

A woman of average height stepped out of the shadows. Her long black trench coat was buttoned up to her chest, a hint of a red shirt peeking through. She pushed her dark hair out of her face and slanted eyes surveyed the body. With the toe of her leather boot, her foot nudged the body until it rolled over. She gripped the skull mask and pulled.

A mannequin head was underneath.

"Very funny, Jason," she murmured and turned when the young man appeared behind her. "You almost had me there. It didn't move though."

"Well, I thought about having it scratch its butt, except that would be a little too out of character," Red X shrugged and pulled a metal box the size of a small tool box from behind his back. "A delivery for you."

The woman opened the lid and scanned the contents inside, "It seems to be in order. You haven't done particularly horribly this time."

"Coming from you, I'm going to take that as a compliment."

"Until next time, apprentice."

The woman turned without another word and disappeared between shipping crates like the world's greatest assassin she was.

"See ya, Shiva."

* * *

**So sorry for the delay! Time got away from me! This is a pretty long chapter so I hope that it makes up for the wait.**

**Thanks to: ShinobuSaiga, That dorky blonde, Girlwiththelionsmane, lolmak, Eby Mikaelson, and Ruon Jian for you reviews! I always appreciate and look forward to reading your comments!**

**If you want to see what Starfire's uniform is like, check out my profile page. I will put the link up there. Don't get me wrong, I love Starfire, skimpy clothes or covered up, I just am iffy about her new design in Red Hood and the Outlaws. It doesn't seem very battle appropriate.**

**I didn't really edit this too much, let me know if you see any mistakes.**

**As always, review!**


	8. We're All Mad Here

_"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."_

- Napoleon Bonaparte

**Chapter 8: We're All Mad Here**

* * *

Smallville, Kansas

October 29, 19:26 CDT

"So …. What do you want to watch?"

"I don't know. What do you have?"

"Action … comedy … uh, not the horror … some documentaries-"

"What are they about?"

"Hmm … volcanoes, Japan, whale hunting, extinct Tasmanian animals … here, you pick one," Connor shoved the box of DVDs at his friend and continued to search through the huge collection of movies that Clark had collected over the years. Robin set aside the ones he had already seen and started reading the summaries of ones he has not. "So, I had an ulterior motive for asking you to hang out."

"I figured," Conner smirked. His sky blue eyes shone with amusement at the smaller boy's slightly abashed look. "You bats always have something up your sleeves."

Robin shrugged and held up a DVD case about underwater exploration, "Sorry. How about this one?"

"Sure," Connor took the case and put the DVD in the machine and flipped on the television. Ma and Pa Kent had invested in a home theatre system after Connor came to live with them one summer. He was forever grateful for the distraction it provided from the absolute boringness of Smallville, Kansas, which was probably why Kara Zor-El was in Metropolis spending the night with Clark's girlfriend Lois Lane. Ma and Pa Kent were out swing dancing so he had the house to himself. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Robin's cheeks turned bright red and he shoved his dark sunglasses further up his nose. "I need some girl advice."

"You're asking me for girl advice? When you have Nightwing as a brother?" Connor raised his eyebrows in surprise and chucked a piece of popcorn at his friend. "I thought you were supposed to be the smart one!"

Robin batted the popcorn off his lap, "Nightwing just thinks my situation is hilarious. I received no help from him. Batman is even worse when it comes to women."

"I can imagine. Wait, what's the problem again?"

"It's Cassie," the wiry built boy slouched down on the old plaid couch and his fingers drummed restlessly on the armrest. "And Rose, but mostly Cassie."

"What's wrong? You two seemed to be doing well."

"We were! At least until Rose showed up! Now every time I go on a mission with her, Cassie gives me this evil stare. I have no idea what her problem is! Whenever I ask she just says, 'nothing' and stares at me as if I should know exactly what's going on."

Connor shoved a handful of the buttery popcorn in his mouth to hide his smile.

"You're laughing at me aren't you?"

The Kryptonian clone shook his head in negation since his cheeks were stuffed full of popcorn.

"Ugh!" Robin crossed his arms over his chest and scowled in the direction of the TV. "You're just as bad as Nightwing."

"Hey!" Connor forcefully swallowed the mouthful of food. "When it comes to girls, no one is as bad as Nightwing. What are you asking me for? Advice?"

"I want to know why Cassie is so mad at me," Robin's voice was almost whiny. It wasn't often that he admitted to not knowing something.

"She probably feels threatened," Connor shrugged and turned his attention back to the screen.

"By what?" Robin was incredulous at the thought that Wonder Girl might feel threatened by anyone.

"Rose." Connor shrugged at the look Robin sent him. "What? Everyone knows she has a thing for you."

"No she doesn't! It's just because I can speak a little bit of Cambodian …."

"Whatever. Just tell Rose to back off and tell Cassie that you're with her because you like her. That's my opinion."

The room was silent for several blissful minutes. The screen glowed like a beacon in the dark room. Two young heroes parked in front of it, exchanging a bowl of microwaved popcorn.

Robin broke the silence first. "So what's up with you and Kara?"

The boy at the other end of the couch became absolutely still. Robin winced at the suffocating tension that filled the room but powered on. "Come on. You two are like family, you should really try and-"

"She's not my family," Superboy's voice was frosty.

"Well, you are kind of related-"

"She doesn't want anything to do with me! Crap!" the near empty bowl of popcorn exploded across the floor. Pieces of ceramic and popcorn littered the carpet beneath the boy. Connor waved Robin off as he picked up the sharp ceramic pieces. "Ma is going to kill me for this."

"Come on, Connor," Robin trailed after his friend into the kitchen where the taller boy dumped the ceramic shards into the garbage can. "She's freaked out but not exactly by you. The whole clone situation makes her uncomfortable. Remember how long it took Superman to get over it? She also has to deal with the fact that Krypton is gone and nearly her entire family perished. Just try, alright?"

Connor rested his hands on the edge of the sink and glared out the window. The scarecrow was waving tauntingly in the wind. "I don't trust her," he admitted.

"Then you and Batman can form a 'We Don't Trust Kara' club. Batman, I can understand. His paranoia over aliens is well known. What is your problem with her? Don't tell me you're jealous?"

"I'm not jealous!" Connor growled. The muscles in his jaw flexed under the strain of clenching his teeth.

"Seriously, don't let your jealousy make you do something that you may regret later." Robin's hand rested gently on his shoulder, the boy's small, wiry frame was dwarfed by the Kryptonian's in the reflection of the window. "Nightwing wasn't very … accepting of the second Robin. He let his jealousy get in the way of building a good relationship with his new brother. I'm not sure you know how much he regrets it now. A word of advice: extend the olive branch."

Nightwing's distraught face haunted his nightmares for weeks after they heard the news. His old friend hadn't been the same since. It had only become worse with Wally's death. Connor sighed heavily and pushed away from the counter. "Fine. I'll try harder. Can we watch the documentary now?"

"Sure. Maybe we should skip back a couple scenes? I wasn't really paying attention."

* * *

Jump City

October 30; 11:54 PDT

The café was a little piece of beauty. Its furniture was an eclectic mishmash of wooden antiques and funky modern monstrosities. Not a single one of the plates and mugs matched. The walls were decorated with East Asian pieces tastefully arranged to promote the flow of chi. Jason's favorite pieces were the quotations scribbled in sharpie on the beige wall. Some were inspirational, and some were wise. Every now and then a funny or bizarre line would pop up in his eyesight.

However, on this particular day he was rather fond of the mirrors. Jason was comfortably relaxed on a squishy green armchair in the far corner of the café. Just around the corner towards the entrance were the café bar and another seating area. His targets were huddled over a wobbly table, discussing something in low tones.

Jason could guess what they were talking about. It would all be coded, naturally, since the café was bustling with students and residents. Jason was rather proficient at lip-reading in multiple languages; however, such staring might attract unwanted attention. Instead, he glanced up occasionally when the piece in his ear went silent as the bug he planted under their table failed to pick up any conversation. The conversation was innocent enough but the unusual emphasis on 'dates' and the context in which the word was being used raised the fine hairs on the back of Jason's neck.

It was the way Gunther Krause spoke about women to his younger brother Hendrik. There was a rolling note to his tone and his lips would curl slightly upwards in the mirror's reflection. Jason wondered if the monster smiled while he violated and tortured his victims. That really pissed Jason off. It reminded him too much of his previous life; a life that just would not let him move on. A touch of green lingered at the edge of his vision.

Gunther dominated the conversation, his body loomed over his brother and his hand gestures were sharp and aggressive, a cup of coffee forgotten beside him. On the other side of the table, Hendrik fiddled with his empty mug of chai tea, his shoulders hunched over the table. The younger brother was not an unwilling accomplice; Hendrik gazed up at his brother in adoration.

Both men had been shortlisted by the JCPD as suspects for the recent serial murders hitting the more vulnerable women of the East side. Of course, this short list also included 15 other men and not a single one had any hard evidence linking them to one of the crimes. However, the local police lacked the technology Jason had access to. He had tracked Gunther and Hendrik Krause's trail through Germany and the United States. Multiple fake identities were used as the men left the bodies of vulnerable women in their wake. All he needed was DNA. If the DNA of one of the brothers matched the DNA found on the most recent victim … well, he'd take care of it. There would be one or two fewer monsters for the world to worry about.

Jason's recon mission had nothing to do with saving the world. Jump City was falling victim to a spree of murders and there was no Batman to solve the case or Superman to swoop in and save the day. There was only Jason and his sort-of-not team. Maybe this hero was just as violent and brutal as the rabid dogs he took care of. Maybe Jump City deserved better, but they had to deal with what they got.

His phone vibrated against his Roman history textbook on the mahogany coffee table, snapping him out of his progressively darkening thoughts. The number was blocked.

"JT's repair service. You break it, we fix it. Everything from potato peelers to world peace. How may I be of service?"

"-tt-," the voice was high pitched and young. A small smile started to stretch across Jason's face and the green faded from his vision. The voice continued in Arabic. "You are incorrigible."

"And you just made my day that much better," Jason switched easily to Arabic but his accent wasn't nearly as authentic as the boy's was. "I haven't heard from you in a while. What's up Damian?"

"I merely found myself with extra time in my busy schedule today," Damian paused for a moment. "One of my tutors bored me, so I killed him."

"Why was he so boring?" The Krause brothers were still chatting away.

"There was nothing more for me to learn from him. So I practiced a new move on him and snapped his neck."

"What did your mother say?"

"I believe she found my reasoning sound enough and seemed quite pleased with my new technique. Mother allowed me some spare minutes to phone you."

"Wait … so Talia rewarded you for dismissing your tutor by allowing you to phone me?" Jason gave that a moment to sink in. "Seriously? Talking to me is a present? Aww …. Little brother! You make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!"

"I am quite happy to be away from you right now. I do not wish to contact whatever illness you have that is making you act like this."

Jason snorted but his good humor remained, "It is caller Harperitis. It continually lowers your IQ points the longer you are exposed to the carrier."

"That explains everything." Damian's voice softened just a little bit. "What are you doing now?"

"Oh, you know … the usual. I'm stalking two possible serial killers in a coffee shop."

"Why don't you just kill them?" His voice had a tone of curiosity.

"Because I need physical evidence. DNA or catching them in the act will do fine. I prefer the DNA, that way no one else gets hurt."

"Mother did say that you are protective of innocents. Particularly women."

"Talia is right," Jason's thumb rubbed over the smooth ceramic handle of the dark green mug. Both men were still at the table.

"Why is that?"

"Because they have always shown the most kindness to me. I feel that since I have the ability to, I should return the favor."

"There is one exception, right?"

Jason released the mug and clenched his fist tightly in his lap, away from anything breakable. "Yes, one exception. The one known exception to the rule."

The Krause brothers stood up and moved towards the exit. Jason began to pack up and shove his belongings in his bag. "Targets are on the move. I should probably go now, Damian. Give me a call next time you assassinate one of your instructors and get to skip a class, alright?"

"Very well. Don't let your extracurricular missions distract you from the main objective. Mother would be most upset."

"Don't worry, brother," Jason swept by the Krause brother's table, their cups vanishing from the table. "This is just a little stress reliever."

"Goodbye, Jason. Do say hello to your girlfriend for me."

"My girlfriend's not-" The click of the disconnection signaled the call's end. "Little troll."

Jason was already speeding down the scenic ocean route on his motorcycle when the barista noticed that two cups had gone missing.

The main floor of the house was silent. Dirty dishes were stacked next to the sink, waiting for someone to wash them. Gadgetry and blueprints littered the dining room table. Books and papers were scattered across the coffee table in the living room where Benji liked to take notes while a basketball game was on the TV. Heavy tomes were carefully stacked next to a squishy green armchair in the corner of the living room. However, not a single living occupant was to be found.

Jason shrugged and headed to his office. What they did on their own time wasn't any of his business. As long as they start cleaning up after themselves, especially before Kori's dishes started birthing living organisms.

His office was bright and sunny with a perfect view of the ocean's rolling waves. Reaching behind a stack of biographical books, Jason pried open a small slot on the bookshelf and pressed his index finger against the scanner. A slight click indicated that his fingerprint was accepted and he stepped back as the book case rose into the ceiling, revealing his real office. The room did not have any natural light but was a reinforced panic room not found on the house blueprints. A supercomputer with three monitors rested against one wall next to the most advanced forensic technology available that was featured in every CSI's wet dream. The left side of the room had all of his field tools and several vials of Xenothium which he used to power his working suit. The suit and its back up were hidden from view behind a steel paneled door.

Out of the sports bag came two plastic bags with ceramic mugs contained inside. Setting them down on the table, Jason snapped on a pair of gloves and got to work. He lifted fingerprints from the handles and swabbed the rim of the cups for saliva. The fingerprints were scanned into the computer and the saliva was left to be analyzed for DNA. It would take some time.

A slight shaking of the floor jolted Jason from his thoughts. He paused, gripping the table waiting for another shock. The house remained still and silent but Jason reconsidered the location of his housemates. Leaving the computer to its work, Jason left to investigate.

He found the rest of his not-team gathered in the specialized training room. It was built deep under the main house in a wide-open cavern that in some ways reminded Jason of the Batcave. That was probably why he avoided it as much as possible. An underwater stream passed through the cavern and emptied out into the ocean. Lighting was wired into the walls and a collection of weaponry was stored on the wall of the main door.

Benji and Kori were wrestling. Or Kori was teaching and Benji was just trying to survive. The meta-human was crumbling under the Tamaranian's strength, his maraging steel skin was the only reason he had yet to crumple to the ground. Raven was ignoring the wrestling match and levitating cement blocks with her mind. Roy was farthest from the doorway, practicing shooting arrows with his bionic arm. Judging by the bull's eyes he kept hitting, his arm was just fine for bows and arrows.

There was a squeal of bending metal and Benji fell to the floor panting.

"You must hold your stance," Kori chastised. She was dressed in her battle outfit and looked slightly disappointed in the lack of a fight she was getting. "You wish to join us in battle, yes? Then you must never back down, or it will be your last move. Most people will not give second chances."

"I got it, I know." Benji stood up and rested his hands on his knees, panting heavily. His skin had returned to its regular pale tone. "It's just – I'm not as strong as you or nearly as experienced."

"If you cannot be stronger then you must be faster," Kori's arm shot out and jabbed Benji in the shoulder. The screech of nails on metal echoed around the cavern and Jason shivered at the sound. "Hmm, not quite what I had in mind."

"I'm not fast or quick, not like Jason and Roy. I'm a big, lumbering gorilla. For me it has always been about being bigger and stronger than the other guy."

"But now, you are not the bigger or stronger guy. Compared to Superman, you are a weak kitten."

"What else can I do?" Benji kicked his track jacket off the training mat and gripped at his short, dark hair. Roy paused in his shooting and one of the cement blocks crashed to the floor in pieces. "I want this; I want to help you guys!"

"You have another option," Jason murmured. He picked up the Thanagarian battle mace from its place on the wall beside multiple weapons that Roy had familiarized himself with. He held the mace out for Benji to take. The taller man shook his head.

"I can't."

"Yes you can. You're just afraid. Everyone is afraid of the unknown. Why else do you think people fear death?" Jason's voice and face were calm as he spoke of a darkness he was most familiar with.

"You cannot let your fear control your fate," Raven spoke up from her dark corner.

"You never know, things could be amazing if you just give it a try," Roy agreed. He repositioned his arrow and raised his arms for a shot.

"But what if it's not?" Benji gingerly held the mace in his hand.

A blur of movement from the corner of his eye caught Jason's attention. Kori was shooting towards them, her eyes narrowed in determination and arms outstretched. No, not towards them. She was flying towards Jason.

Benji yelled and crashed into her from the side, just before her nails reached Jason's nose. Kori was pinned against the stone wall, Benji's skin was covered in metal again but this time he held her. Even a punch to the stomach by the alien wasn't enough to move his body a centimeter. Slowly, Kori relaxed and smiled brilliantly.

"See, you _can_ do it."

The nearly seven foot tall metal human pulled back and examined his hands, flexing them again and again. Jason released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Roy and Raven had paused in their own training to watch.

"It feels … tingly. Not unpleasant, but strange." Benji reached out and pulled a chunk of stone out of the wall. He watched in fascination as the rock crumbled into dust beneath his fingers.

"All you needed was a little motivation," Kori patted the taller man's shoulder and smiled at his raised eyebrow.

"Wait, you were faking?"

"Did you really think Kori would attack me?" Jason laughed.

"I just reacted, I guess. Didn't really think about it," the metal shine faded from his skin and Benji scratched the back of his head, his face a bright red.

"Perhaps you do have good reflexes. We shall work on that. Back to work! Let's see if you can use Nth metal again without me charging any of my friends."

Jason backed out of the room, unwilling to participate anymore in Benji's training for the day.

Back in his office, the computer had completed its analysis of Gunther and Hendrick Krause's DNA. Jason pulled up the file containing DNA lifted from the rape and murder cases in Jump City as well as the unsolved cases that followed the Krause brothers west. While the computer ran comparisons of DNA and fingerprints, Jason pulled up his email on his phone. There was one new message:

_J-_

_STAR product is completed and ready for pick up. Bat and birds are on your trail. Perhaps it is time to introduce yourself properly? Taos is a nice location._

_P.S. - D. enjoyed his phone call with you and is now requesting tutors in forensic science._

_-T_

"Ahhh … It's time to play the game." A beep from the computer indicated the comparisons were done. Gunther Krause's DNA and fingerprints matched 12 cases, five in Jump City alone. Hendrick Krause's DNA was on four Jump City murders and three elsewhere in America. Apparently they had been getting sloppy.

Jason's grin was positively ferocious.

* * *

Gotham City

October 31; 08:25 EDT

The Batcave was never silent. The rustling of the bats, the slight whistling of wind, and the splash of water against the rocks was a constant background noise. It didn't bother Bruce Wayne. He'd be far more concerned if the cave was silent. A constant hum of background noise was preferential for his work; it helped keep him awake as he pushed the limits of the human body night after night.

No, what did annoy him were the continuous interruptions by humans. Humans were far more demanding than bats, they actually required a verbal response to their questions. Some nights he could handle the subtle requests from Alfred, Dick's excessive chattiness, and Tim's never ending questions. However, after 75 sleepless hours, he was in no mood to entertain whoever was coming down the stairs.

"Thought I'd find you here," Dick strolled towards the main computer where Bruce sat, multiple monitors working on different videos. "Not sure why I'd thought you'd be anywhere else."

Bruce wasn't in the mood for humor, "What do you want?"

"Ouch! Chilly reception …" Bruce glared. "Alright, I'm here for Alfred because he's driving Tim to school. He wants to remind you that the human body operates at peak performance after eight hours of sleep."

The older man returned to studying the monitors.

"Bruce, go upstairs and get some sleep. This can wait until later."

"Why are you here, Dick? Your home is in Bludhaven."

"Because every now and then someone needs to kick your butt down to Earth. You're human. Humans shouldn't be watching … uh, multiple security cameras after 70 hours without sleep. Wait, what _are_ you doing?"

"I'm reviewing gathered security footage from all the known Xenothium heists. I recently acquired one from a chemical lab in Hong Kong. They were the first lab to have Xenothium stolen."

"So you think that the thief might have made a mistake, earlier in his or her career." Dick narrowed his eyes when Bruce replayed the footage. "Everything else we brought in was useless?"

"Yes," Bruce tapped several buttons on the keyboard so that the video slowed to a crawl around the suspected time of the theft. "He or she has had a significant amount of training in forensic evidence and computer hacking. They are also very sufficient in the art of stealth."

"So, what are you saying? That this person could give me a run for my money?" Dick's joking tone trailed off at the look on his mentor's face. "Relax, Bruce. We'll catch him eventually. Wait! Go back just a little bit!"

Frame by pixelated frame, Bruce reversed the footage until he found was Dick spotted. It was just two frames, not enough time for the human eye to spot normally with such poor footage. A shadow hovered in the corner of the camera's angle.

Bruce enlarged the frame and ran a program to clean up the pixilation. It really was just a shadow, but it had enough shape to identify its originator as human-like. It appeared to be a human head with a long body that cut off with jagged ends to a pair of legs. Dick was stumped.

"Okay, so now what? We can't identify our thief by his shadow!"

"No," Bruce agreed. "But this does indicate that he make mistakes. I need to review the evidence."

"What evidence!" the young man's arms waved in front of him as his frustration escalated. "We've been over those crime scenes from wall to wall. It's not like the guy can move through walls or walk on upside down!"

Bruce paused in his typing and stared at the screen. His eyes were staring right through the image of the shadow, his mind working furiously. "The ceilings."

Dick slapped a palm to his face, "You really need some sleep."

"No, it makes perfect sense …." Bruce furiously flipped through the evidence photos, pulling up any that had a visual of the ceiling. He zoomed in around one photo of a security camera that was hacked. The computer scanned the image and pulled up three possible shoe impressions.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Dick stared in disbelief at the image on the monitor. Bruce pushed away from the desk and headed for his costume. "Wait! You can't go out now! It's daytime!"

Bruce, or the Batman – Dick wasn't sure which one he was dealing with – paused at his words.

"I know that you have a lead, but the Batman doesn't work during the day. Bruce Wayne should probably get some sleep so that the Batman can be most effective. Please, Bruce. Get some rest."

The taller man was silent for several moments. "Fine, but Wayne Labs will be my first stop tonight. STAR Labs just finished manufacturing some more Xenothium, I expect that the thief will strike soon."

"We'll be ready," Dick tried to reassure his mentor.

Bruce's eyes glanced quickly at the glass display case in the corner. "There will be no mistakes."

* * *

**So sorry for the wait! I know that this took a long time. I wouldn't consider it completely finished since I tried to edit it today while dealing with a cold and doped up on meds. If you guys catch anything while reading, do let me know.**

**So you probably noticed a name and summary change? Well, people totally judge a book by its cover (I do it all the time!).**

**Shout out to konohaflameninja, McNineSpike and the anonymous Guest for their reviews. Hearing from my readers really does help motivate me to find time to write so please leave a review.**

**Also, kudos to those who guess where I got this chapter's title!**


	9. The Victim's Sister

_"Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are."_

- Benjamin Franklin

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Victim's Sister**

Jump City

October 31; 21:23 PDT

It was a bad idea. In fact, it was one of the dumbest ideas she had ever had.

She knew it had been a bad idea from the beginning but went along with it anyways. Chasing leads for stories was one thing, chasing leads for the rape and murder of young women in the exact same area of town that the crimes were committed was just plain stupid. But it was the only time and place that the latest victim's family would meet with her. She had gained no further insight into Nadia's life before her death. Her mother had insisted upon discussing her daughter's younger days. It may have been because the woman lost contact with her daughter later in life or she didn't feel like discussing Nadia's unsavory occupation as a prostitute. Whatever the reason, the lead was a dead end.

Night had fallen and Jump City's East End was silent except for the soft thump of Margaret's well-worn flats on the broken concrete sidewalk. Unlike the rest of the city where children would be out and about filling their pumpkin shaped containers with candy and other goodies, the East End children could not afford the luxury of trick-or-treating. She could feel their eyes peering at her from behind closed curtains. Only a fool would walk this neighborhood at night. Margaret was a fool, the biggest fool of all.

The bus stop was two blocks away when she heard them again. The footsteps were heavy and slow but muffled as if the person was trying to keep quiet. She had heard them every now and then on her hurried walk to catch the bus, the exact same footsteps. Same tempo with a slight scruff as one of the heels dragged across the concrete. She was being followed.

Margaret pulled her gray coat tighter around her throat when the gust of cold wind blew through the empty street. No more than thirty-five, she was a pretty woman with long flowing blond locks and smooth, flawless skin. But the hardness at the corner of her dark blue eyes spoke of knowledge far beyond her years. It was that knowledge that encouraged her to reach in her bag and floundered for her can of pepper-spray. Her hands fumbled over her recorder but finally found what she was searching for and wrapped her fingers around the can of pepper-spray when the footsteps behind her sounded closer.

What she didn't expect was for a large arm with muscles like bricks to reach out from the dirty alley and wrap around her upper body. A high pitched screech of terror escaped from her throat while releasing the pepper-spray into her attacker's face. He released her with a yell and she ran. She ran as fast and as hard as she could. Two sets of running footsteps trailed behind her, gaining ground. Breathing hard from fear and physical exertion, she had almost finished dialing 911 when she was push from behind. Her hands scrapped against the concrete and her phone skidded underneath a dumpster. She screamed again.

"How dare you, little bitch!" her head was yanked backwards by her hair and the man's foul breath felt hot beside her ear. "That was my brother!"

She used her elbows to hit him in the solar plexus but the man held on tight despite being winded. Another large, blurry man appeared, wiping furiously at his red eyes.

"I can't believe the slut pepper-sprayed me!" Both of the men had slight accents, perhaps German or Eastern European. The one she pepper-sprayed was shorter and leaner with shaggy, dirty-blond hair.

"Wadda'ya say we teach her some manners?" The man who had her by the hair wrapped his arm around her throat. Fear seeped in and she struggled desperately. She kicked back hard but missed and he tightened his arm around her throat. Air was scarce and Margaret gasped while her vision darkened at the edges.

A quiet whirring of metal sliced through the air and stopped at the sound of flesh being impacted, interrupting whatever her first attacker was going to say. The man behind her screamed in pain and released the blond. She fell to the ground and scrambled away from both men. A red throwing star with four razor-sharp points stuck out of the monster's wrist. His hand was lax and loose, hanging limply from his wrist. Her mind distractedly supplied that his nerves had been severed. The blond man pulled out a handgun which was quickly knocked out of his hand by another throwing star before he even had a chance to aim.

A dark shadow descended on the men in front of her. The absolute terror on their faces gave her a warm, burning feeling as the monsters learned to fear something more powerful. Margaret thought that she had long suppressed that rage.

The vigilante was masked, his face covered in a black cloth with a ghostly white skull covering the eyes and forehead. He was dressed almost entirely in black and moved with the shadows, slithering in and out of the darkness at will. The only way she could follow him was by the skull mask with the red 'X' on the forehead and his dark gray gloves.

Margaret should have run because that would have been the smart thing to do. But she needed to see, needed to know. She thought at first that the man's black cape was what seemed familiar, but realized it was his aggressively sharp movements. They were from a memory that she couldn't place.

The vigilante quickly dispatched the short blond, pinning his body to the wall with several red throwing stars. The other attacker with the limp hand fumbled behind his back and shakily held up a handgun, pointing it at the vigilante's back.

"Watch out!" Margaret screamed, but the masked man was moving before the words even left her mouth. The rapist shot at the trail ends of a jagged black cape. They missed the original mark, but hit another as two bullets buried themselves in the chest of the man pinned against the opposite wall. There was a strangled gasp from the man as the bullets found their mark.

"Gun … ther …" the body slumped as the last breath escaped. His eyes were wide and unseeing, gazing at the dirty alley floor. A lump lodged itself in her throat but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the dead body. This was different. Margaret thought she might be sick. This was her first witness of death.

"Hendrick … no, no, no!" He whipped his gun wildly around, searching for the vigilante. Margaret froze when the barrel point at her. "It's all your fault! You little bitch!"

"No, it's your fault Gunther Krause." Within seconds the vigilante had him pinned with throwing stars opposite the body, the handgun being examined by gloved hands. His voice was distorted but the tone was calm. "You were the one who brought him into your little fun and games. You liked having him follow you around; you liked how he admired you. He was the only one who ever loved you, wasn't he?" Gunther didn't answer, he seemed incapable of speaking. "Now look at what you did to him. You pulled that trigger. You killed him, your own brother."

The vigilante leaned in closer; his skull mask glowed in the dim light of the alley. "It was going to end anyways. You two got sloppy, left your evidence all over the last few bodies. At least Hendrick gets to escape it; the truth that you failed. Admit it Gunther, you lost."

"How did you …?" Gunther was completely focused on the masked man, his eyes wide and manic. His accent was thick and heavy.

"How did I know? I work outside the law, Krause. But now the people who work inside the law will have your DNA. You'll be charged and convicted, because the evidence is overwhelming. You'll be sentenced to death. But first you will get to spend the next twenty years of your life on death row, waiting in solitary confinement for when they march you to the chair. And you know what? Every night I'll be there, just to remind you how badly you failed." The attacker was shaking, his breathing short and panicked. "You won't be able to escape me. I will always be there as a reminder that _you lost the game_."

The masked man stepped back and pulled out the magazine, emptying the bullets onto the ground. He put the gun back together and placed it back in Gunther Krause's only working hand, wrapping the man's still fingers around the handle.

"There's one bullet left in there. Use it wisely."

The vigilante turned to the shocked woman on the ground. He helped her stand and steered her out of the alley by her shoulders, his body shielding her from seeing her attackers. Just as they were about to turn the corner, a gunshot echoed behind them. Margaret jumped but the vigilante was calm and composed.

"Don't look," he ordered. So naturally, she looked.

It was just a peek, a sliver of an image, but it was enough to make her stomach churn. The handgun had fallen to the cracked pavement from slack fingers. His entire body was limp and sagging in the hold of the red throwing stars. A splatter of red extended along the brick wall behind the man's dirty blond hair. Flecks of pink peppered the blood spatter and glistened in the dim street light. The vigilante jerked her back around but Margaret's mind had already gone numb. That was brain matter in the blood.

Her stomach heaved and she spewed her dinner out onto the sidewalk. The vigilante ignored her sickness and continued dragging her down the street as she stumbled after him. Doors were opening behind them and voices called out. Sirens echoed in the distance. All Margaret could focus on was the image of Gunther's brain splattered across the wall. She gagged again.

He sat her down on a wooden bench that had been repeatedly vandalized by graffiti. Thickly gloved hands held her face still as the skull mask stared straight at her. Her eyes roved the mask desperately but her mind refused to take in any information. The edge of her vision was turning black. There was a tightness spreading across her chest. Something was wrong with her.

"Breathe slowly. You are having a panic attack." His voice was distant and fuzzy in her head, playing second fiddle to the roaring in her ears. Margaret tried to focus on his words, breathing when he directed her. In. Out. In. Out. Very good.

The roaring in her head subsided slightly and she continued breathing slowly and deeply, the taste of her nausea lingering at the back of her throat. The man instead gathered up the contents of her purse that had spilt across the sidewalk. If she had been watching carefully, she would have noticed him pause while picking up her open wallet. Instead she gratefully accepted her purse back, clutching it like a lifeline and fingering the outside zipper.

"You're from Gotham?" Now that she could focus on it, Margaret realized his voice was weirdly distorted. It wasn't a voice that should bring her so much comfort.

"Yes," she was still breathless from her short panic attack. The conversation was a nice distraction. "I moved here to escape this kind of thing."

"You were hunting the serial killers." It wasn't a question. He had probably seen her note pad.

"I was trying to, not very well obviously." She looked up to the black eye holes of the skull mask. "You were tracking them. That's why you were so close. Was I their next target?"

"I discovered the Krause's extracurricular activities recently. They chose targets randomly; you were simply easy prey to them."

Margaret fell silent. She almost expected the vigilante to leave but he was still watching her when she looked up, a question on her lips. "Why would he do that?"

The man tilted his head like a bird. It looked strange with such a terrifying mask. "Do what?"

"Why did he … you know. Do that to himself?"

"Ah … well, he lost. You need to remember that these monsters don't feel normal emotions. To him, the game was only fun as long as he was winning. Not only had he been caught, but he killed his brother. Hendrick and Gunther Krause had a distorted and twisted sibling relationship. Although Gunther was the leader, he couldn't function without his brother's hero worship. One could not live without the other."

Margaret's vision focused more clearly on the vigilante. His hands were relaxed on his hips, cape swept behind his shoulders. It was familiar and calming. "Why didn't you try to stop him?"

"From offing himself? And put the families of his victims through the pain of a month long trial where they listen to that monster lie and twist his words? To have the defense lawyer spend most of the trial digging up those girls' unsavory occupations and pastimes? I prefer to spare those families the agony of a trial. The monster would have been given the death penalty anyways. It was a small act of mercy for Krause to do it himself."

He was chatty, clearly explaining his reasoning for giving Gunther Krause the opportunity to commit suicide. It was a relief to have someone be so forthcoming. She was inspired by the confidence he exuded and the familiarity she felt in his presence. His reasoning made sense. Margaret left Gotham to escape the roving doors of Arkham Asylum and the corrupt justice system that failed her sister and her family. She never felt safe in Gotham and her sister's death was the breaking point. Batman was as much a problem as he was a solution. She liked the way this guy thought.

"Who are you?"

"Just call me Red X."

"I'm Margaret-"

"Stanson, I know. What? I saw your driver's license."

He was still there. Why was he still there? Don't heroes have more important things to do than comfort the victims?

"Is there something else?" She asked.

"Were you related to Gloria Stanson of Gotham City?"

She froze and stared at the man. He wasn't much taller than her. Somewhere near six feet. But his body was wiry with compact muscles. She recognized his movements from the old newscasts. His accent was familiar and the way he spoke of victims and their families resonated within her. "She was my little sister."

"I am sorry for your loss. Please excuse me, I have a long drive to make," the masked man turned away and pulled something out from behind his cape. A grappling gun. It hit her like a ton of bricks. The suicide of her sister was one of two reasons she escaped Gotham City. The other one was the disappearance of a boy who asked questions and cared compassionately, worrying over Gloria. He was a boy who proudly wore red, green, and yellow, leaping over rooftops and saving damsels in distress with a smile. She was furious when a gloomy new boy took his place.

"She spoke highly of you," the man froze. "She was in a bad place, but Gloria appreciated how hard you fought for her."

"I have no idea-"

"I heard the rumors about that monster who raped her, Felipe Garzonas. No one really knows if his death was an accident," that ghostly white mask turned to face her, his body tense. "I know one thing though. Gloria would have been relieved. He terrified her. She would be happy to know that he will never harm another person ever again. Just like the Krause brothers will never again go after me."

"But he's dead," the man tilted his head again. "He was possibly murdered by someone who was supposed to be a hero. Or it was possibly an accident and that same person never attempted to save him."

"Doesn't matter to my family, we're still thankful for that person," Margaret stood up from the bench and tested her balance. Her legs felt stronger now, not like they would give out under her. "But I can imagine that it mattered to Batman, which is why you are no longer working with him."

"I am not going to respond to that other than the Batman has an antiquated sense of morality. He has never liked going beyond the corrupt justice system."

"Once again, doesn't matter to my family and me." The blond stepped forward and gently pulled the slightly taller man down by his chin so she could plant a kiss on the X slashed above his right eye. "Thank you, little bird, for thinking about my sister. For remembering the pain that monster put her through. For showing her compassion when so many others did not."

She could almost see the cocky smile spread across what was once a youthful face. "I don't like it when men hurt women and I'm not a bird anymore." He gently grasped her hand and placed a black Taser with a red X slashed across the handle in her hand. "Stay safe Miss Stanson."

She nodded and looked down to tuck the Taser in her purse. When she glanced up, he was gone.

Disappointed, Margaret shuffled through her bag and pulled out the voice recorder. It was still running from accidently touching it when searching for her pepper-spray so she stopped it. Margaret glanced around quickly. The majority of people were crowded around the alley, screaming and crying over the bodies, horrified by the violence. The red and blue lights of the JCPD squad cars reflected off the dirty windows of shops and houses. Hitting rewind, Margaret listened carefully for the self-declaration of Red X and stopped.

Doing exactly what a reporter should not do, Margaret Stanson erased the last piece of her conversation with Red X. Some things are just meant to remain private. The police would get the butchered recording eventually, but not after she was finished writing up one hell of a blog entry for her ten thousand loyal Jump City readers.

* * *

The Watchtower

November 1; 17:03 EDT

"I called the five of you here because I have a mission for you," Batman started, staring down at the five young heroes gathered around a conference table. Superboy, Nightwing, Blue Beetle, Kid Flash, and Robin had all been separated from the rest of the Team. Separating the groups was an unusual action to take, even for mission briefings. Batman had not elaborated on Robin's enquiries as to the new practice so he dropped the question. "You will be going to Taos. STAR Labs has completed manufacturing a new batch of Xenothium. I suspect that the Xenothium thief will be making his move very soon to acquire the new product and we have to get there before he does."

Batman glanced around the room and continued after everyone had nodded in acknowledgment. "It will be placed in a holding facility for two days after which it will be transported to the STAR Labs in Gotham. Nightwing will lead the team. Your job is to protect the Xenothium and make sure that it gets from Taos to Gotham. You will be working with STAR Labs security, communicate with only the highest level of security management. I suspect that the thief may have help on the inside."

"What about you?" Robin asked.

"Batgirl and I will be upgrading the security at the Gotham facility. The Taos facility is underprepared for such a dangerous opponent; I will make sure that Gotham is not. Anymore questions?"

Bart and Jaime glanced at each other before shaking their heads in negation. Sure they had questions, but Nightwing was way more approachable than the Batman. Connor was slouched in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. Part of his attention had been on the mission details, the other part was on his conversation with Robin several days ago. Tim also shook his head and mentally filed away the mission details, eager to get started. Dick smothered a yawn and ignored Batman's glare; he had been up way too late helping Barbara study for her midterm.

"Good. You're dismissed."

Robin was closest to the door so he was the one to walk right into Rose who had been standing on the other side with her hand raised to knock.

"Oww!" Robin rubbed at his nose and stepped back only to tread on Bart's foot. He ignored the redhead's dramatics and apologized to the pale blond. "Sorry about that. I didn't know you were on the other side."

"Well, not like you have x-ray vision. Is Batman here?"

The Dark Knight glided into view, "What is it?" His deep baritone rolled over the heads of the small heroes.

"Captain Marvel wanted to ask your opinion on a case. A Green Lantern – I'm not sure which one, the redhead? – distracted him. I thought that I would deliver the message anyways." Robin noticed how Rose stood her ground against the intimidating presence of Batman. Tim could control his body language well enough but Bruce took it to a whole new level. In private, Dick often wondered who the real man was. Bruce Wayne or the Batman? Either way, neither one was easy to speak to without feeling like a complete fool. Most impressively, Rose seemed to be _challenging _Batman.

"Very well. First, you and Beta Squad have a mission briefing. Follow me."

Robin's eyes trailed the vanishing forms of his mentor and one of his newest teammates. An elbow to his side snapped him out of his stare. He glared at the small smug smile Connor had splashed across his face but resisted returning the elbow. It would hurt him a lot more than it would the Kryptonian.

Alpha Squad headed through the maze of hall to the atrium. Several members of the Justice League and the Team were loitering around with cups of a hot beverage dispensed by the fancy new espresso machine that everyone wanted to try. Kara passed by them in the opposite direction, offering a friendly wave. Although similar in color scheme, her new uniform was very different from Superman's. Clark had been dismayed by the short blue skirt and the bare midriff but Mrs. Kent was adamant about the design. Her new daughter had to look fashionable! The knee-high red boots and short red cape were reminiscent of Superman's uniform as was the 'S' splashed across her chest. There was no mistaking who Supergirl was related to.

Kara's smile faltered at Superboy's presence. Robin nudged Connor in the side, hoping that he remembered the promise he made at the Kent's house. The tall dark haired boy sighed heavily and glanced up, nodding once at Kara before passing her.

Just before disappearing through the Zeta-tube, Robin glanced over his shoulder and attempted to read Kara's impassive face. However, her poker face was impressive and he was still pondering her lack of emotion when he arrived in Taos.

* * *

**So it may seem shorter than normal, but I actually had one very long chapter that I've divided into two. It was just becoming a monster of its own so I had to reign it in before it evolved.**

**For those readers who are not familiar with Jason Todd's comic history, I'll do a short lesson. The character was controlled by a writer who hated the idea of Robin so he made the new Robin so unlikable that people were calling for the Boy Wonder to be canned. This really hit its peak after a story arc in which a young woman is raped twice by the same man who gets away with it because of diplomatic immunity. After receiving a phone call from the rapist, the victim Gloria Stanson commits suicide. Jason was quite enraged by this incident and confronted the rapist Felipe Gorzonas in the man's apartment. The comic is deliberately unclear about what happens but the man falls to his death. Jason has never clarified what happened.**

**I think that the problem with comic books, especially Batman, is that the victims and their family are ignored. I wondered how Gloria's family would feel and this chapter reflects what I came to imagine. Justice in the ancient world was glorified revenge by the victim or his family (always a 'he' back then). Human nature is to prefer revenge over forgiveness. The lucky few are those who can forgive wholeheartedly.**

**After that moral spiel, a list of Thank yous! Kudos to Dead Hero, maximaxx, That dorky blonde, Lord-of-Change, IcyWhiteParadise, and Suzaku21 for leaving review of their opinions! Big thanks to McNineSpike for chatting with me and keeping me motivated. Another big thanks to konohaflameninja for her suggestions. Love you guys!**

**Keep tuned for the next chapter! As always, click that button down below and leave a review!**


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